


Four Kind Of Awful People Go On A Fun Road Trip Together

by saccharinepeccadillo



Category: Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
Genre: Abuse, Alcohol, Angst, Character Death, Child Death, Child Murder, Consensual Infidelity, Cryptids, Cult Ending (Dream Daddy), Cults, Demonic Possession, Demons, Dissociation, Drinking, Exorcisms, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gore, Horror, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Minor Character Death, More tags to be added, Multi, Multiple Cryptids, Murder, Other, Panic Attacks, Polyamory, Psychological Horror, Religion, Strangulation, Suicide, Suicide Attempt, Theres some fluff in there somewhere, Torture, Violence, spousal abuse, suffocation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-12-17 15:40:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 26,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11854623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saccharinepeccadillo/pseuds/saccharinepeccadillo
Summary: Four shitty friends head down to Georgia to get revenge and kill a demon. Romance and violence ahoy, but mostly just a couple of snarky shitheads stuck in a car together.Or, my fun demonic road trip auBased on the cult ending and also this really great post: http://catgoboom.tumblr.com/post/163300019830/me-going-through-the-stages-of-grief-over-the except dadsona is there too





	1. Chapter 1

Most of what happens between the basement and getting in the car for you is a blur. You do remember Joseph collapsing, and a vague form that you couldn't quite focus on leaving his body and disappearing into thin air. You remember Mary and Robert, panicked as they tried to wake Joseph up, checking his heart rate and breathing.   
You remember the three of you piling into Mary’s car, you sliding into the back and having Joseph pushed in against you. You remember hugging him close to your chest, supporting his head as best as you could while still being careful with his shoulder. You remember your legs trembling, painful with how tense they were.   
You remember Mary peeling out of her driveway with a loud squeal, speeding down the cul-de-sac and almost tipping the car over at the first turn in her haste. You remember Robert and Mary’s tear stricken faces, and you remember your own tears sliding down your face and hitting Joseph's blood soaked robes.   
It takes a while for Joseph to wake up.

The only alert you're given that the vessel known as Joseph Christiansen is awake is a cough, but it's enough to make the whole car turn ice cold.   
Robert, up in the passenger seat, whips around to face him. You stare in horror as the dying man sputters again and opens his eyes, squinting.   
"Oh god, he's awake." You feel the car jerk as Mary flinches, but she controls it again quickly. Joseph tries to sit up, and you recoil reflexively. He groans as he sits up fully, grabbing his stabbed shoulder in pain.   
"Fuck, that hurts."   
You, Robert and Mary stare silently at Joseph, trying to get a read on him. He looks around at each of you individually, worrying at his lip with his teeth.  
"...I know what you're all probably thinking. I don't know... how to prove that I'm not that thing anymore, but I swear-"   
Robert easily and quickly slips his knife out and holds the tip up to Joseph at eye level, silencing him. Joseph stares at the knife, calm and unmoving. You notice that Robert’s hand is trembling slightly.  
"Pretty fishy that you know what even happened, Joseph."  
"Robert, you've never used that knife on anyone in your entire life."  
"I'm open to new experiences." There's a cold silence between the two, neither one breaking eye contact. Joseph rolls his good shoulder experimentally, wincing as the kinks are worked out. He sneers at Robert.  
"It’s my body. just because I wasn't piloting the thing doesn't mean I didn't get front row seats."   
Your hand is rested over the knife Robert had given you, but you're nowhere near close to pulling it out yet. You don't know that you could pull it on Joseph even if you wanted to.   
"Then how do we trust you?"   
Joseph's glare shifts towards you. "I told you, I don't fucking know. But I am glad you got that thing out of me."   
Mary speaks up, her voice as hard and as biting as ever.   
"If you really are Joseph, then why don't you start by telling us what the fuck happened?"   
"Joey."  
He's looking into the rear view mirror to meet Mary’s eyes, a hard edge to his expression as he stares at her.   
"...Excuse me?"  
"Call me Joey. That's what I went by before that piece of shit took over."   
Robert waves his knife at him again, becoming agitated. "Well, Joey, do as the nice lady says and start talking."   
Joseph, or rather, Joey, leans back into his seat, sucking in a breath through his teeth as he moves and wincing. Robert lowers his knife, but doesn't put it away, toying with the handle as it lays in his lap at the ready.   
"Yeah. I used to go by Joey. Pissed my parents off. Pissed the whole community off.” He says the word community as if to put air quotes around them, laced with malice and resentfulness.   
"I knew that I was gonna get possessed by the demon one day, but damn, I hated it. It used to be my dad, you know, and I did everything I fucking could to fuck with him before my time was up." You remember him mentioning how he had a tattoo, at one point. "Anyway, about fifteen plus years ago I finally got possessed by the damn thing and became the youth minister you all know me as.   
“I guess... that's it. You guys did something that booted it out. I don’t know what that something was, but now I'm free, motherfuckers." He glowers at Robert again. "Well, I would be if the three of you weren't holding me hostage."   
His words almost make you feel guilty, but you know he would be worse off alone and with the police than stuck with you.   
"You still haven't explained how you know what happened." He rolls his eyes at your words.   
The chances of him being the demon are becoming more and more slim in your mind, if only for the fact that this new found Joey is, to put it bluntly, kind of an asshole.   
"Well, of course I don't remember everything. But yeah, I usually could see and shit. I was just observing though. For the most part." Robert shoots him an odd look.  
“For the most part?"   
For the first time that night since waking up, Joey looked ashamed. He suddenly can't look at any of you, reaching out at the back of Mary’s seat to pick at the fabric.   
"Well?"  
"Uh. Can we not talk about this? I think I've given you more than enough info."  
"If you don't talk I will cut you."  
Robert whips the knife back up and presses it gently again Joeys neck to make a point.  
"...Fine. Sometimes, it would let me take over. Not like, fully, but..." he trails off, looking out his window.  
"It was like, if I had been being good, he'd let me interact with people. As myself, you know? A lot of my interactions with the three of you were like that." You and Robert share a look, horror dawning over you.   
"You mean...?"   
He snaps his head back to Robert, glaring at him with a hatred you had never seen on Joseph.   
"I didn't want to hurt anyone. Do you know how lonely it gets? How truly lonely it gets?”   
Mary's voice is a growl, seething with scorn. "So you just let it happen? No, you didn’t just let it happen, you… Are you really that selfish, to..." she doesn't finish, screwing her lips up and pressing her hand firmly over her mouth, holding back a sob. Robert looks down at the floor of the car, leaning into his seat, as if trying to hide in it.   
"I didn't want it to happen. I didn't want any of this to happen. I know you won't believe this, but I care about all of you enough to feel really fucking shitty about what that thing did, and what I did."   
None of you answer him, and you all fall into an uncomfortable silence. Even though it wasn't a real apology, it still reads as one, but the three of you are nowhere near ready to accept it.   
Trying to focus on something else, anything else than the person who is slowly bleeding out next to you, you look out onto the road ahead of you. Mary is going far too fast for comfort. But the faster the four of you get away from Maple Bay, the safer you all are.   
Something catches your eye on the road. Something small, that's reflecting your beams with a light pink glow. Startled, you try to say something.   
"Uhh... what the fuck is that?"   
Mary leans in, squinting her eyes at the form. She suddenly slams on her brakes with a gasp. All four of you are thrown forward, your seat belts catching you painfully. Joey emits a pained yelp as his cuts deep into his shoulder wound.   
As you shudder to a halt, you are all able to get a better look at it.  
Sitting in the middle of the road is a humanoid figure. It's skin is a light, rosy pink, and its eyes reflect your cars beams with an orange hue. It slightly resembles an alien, with enormous bug eyes and a teardrop shaped head.   
All four of you are frozen in your seats, and as the creature tilts its head at you curiously, Robert sucks in a shaky breath.   
"Holy shit."   
The creature, apparently spooked by Robert’s voice, scurries off of the road and sprints up a tree, looking back one last time before vanishing. Robert repeats himself again, staring after it with awe.  
"Holy. Fucking. Shit. That was the Dover Demon."   
Your hands are shaking as you run them through your hair, trying to calm yourself.   
"You mean the Dover Ghost?"  
"No, no they’re two separate things, but their names and locations are similar." You can hear the smile spreading across Robert’s face, his excitement growing, "That thing is one of the most elusive cryptids in the United States. And we just saw it."   
Mary's hands are also visibly shaking as she starts driving again. "Remind me, did we happen to take shrooms before leaving?"   
"Mary, face it, cryptids are real and you just saw one."   
"Well maybe that's just a little too much supernatural energy for me for one night."   
Robert crosses his arms. "Are you kidding? The next couple days are going to be jam packed with supernatural energy, cuz we're gonna hunt down that thing that fucked up our lives, and we're gonna kill it."   
Joey let's out a short bark of humorless laughter, prompting Robert to glare back at him angrily.   
"Kill it?? You don't kill that thing. It can't be killed. And there is no way I'm ever, ever getting within a hundred miles of it ever again. No way, no how."   
Mary jerks the car sharply, jostling Joey, making him let out a string of curses as his seat belt jams into his shoulder again.   
"I was married to that thing, and I let it ruin my life and kill my children.   
"You ever see a mother bear when you threaten her young, Joey?" Joey has gone pale, unable to tear his eyes away from the crippling stare targeted at him in the rear view mirror.   
"Uh..."  
"You should be thankful that it isn't in your body anymore, because you would be begging for hell by the time I was done with you." Looking at Mary's face is kind of like looking at a Lovecraftian entity: terrifying.  
"So we are going to find that motherfucker, and revert it back to a sobbing fetal state, before ripping its spine out through its nostrils."   
Joey doesn't say a word, still white as a sheet. He doesn’t seem to be budging on his opinion of the matter, though.  
Everyone in the car turns to you expectantly.   
"I almost died tonight. Amanda could have died tonight. All four of our lives are effectively ruined, and it’s possible that all of us re criminals now. I’m sorry Joey, but there's really only one option here."  
Joey groans and buries his face into his free hand.  
"Fuck all of you. I mean it, fuck all of you."   
Robert’s delighted grin could outshine the sun.   
"Looks like we've got ourselves a demon to hunt."

At 4:30 am, Mary pulls into a motel parking lot, in the middle of nowhere, Connecticut. Keeping a close eye on Joey, you wearily check out a room. The clerk who checks you in doesn't say much, her features gaunt and sallow. As you leave the front desk, you think you see her take an unsynchronized blink with a second set of eyelids. You try to not think about it.   
As the four of you settle into the room, Robert sits Joey down with a medkit to try and fix some of the damage, and you pull out your phone. There's a single text from Amanda. 

Amanda: where are you? i heard some commotion but you weren't anywhere in the house 

You take a deep, shuddering breath and begin to type. 

You: Hey Panda. I am going to be on a road trip for a while.   
I may not make it-

You backspace a couple words. You don't need to jinx it.

Delete this message immediately after you read it. If you need anything, please talk to anyone on the cul-de-sac. If the police ask, you don't know where I am. Stay safe. I love you. 

You hit send, and once it has been delivered, you turn your phone all the way off.  
Mary’s sitting in the motel chair across from you, legs crossed and eyeing you lazily.   
"You should smash it."   
You give her an incredulous look. “It’s like you’re a walking, talking intrusive thought.” She doesn’t respond, only raising her eyebrows and gesturing to your phone, reaffirming her notion.   
"I paid good money for this phone, there's no way in hell I’m breaking it. Besides, they can't track it if it's shut off or dead." She eyes you suspiciously, uncrossing her legs.   
"I don't believe it, I need a second opinion. Robert? What say you?"  
Robert responds around a piece of thread clenched between his teeth. "He's right, doesn't work if the phone’s dead." You cross your arms smugly.   
"See? I'm not always wrong."   
"It's a close thing, kiddo." All three of you smile, relaxing into the banter. The good humor immediately drops when Joey sucks in a pained breath as Robert tugs on a stitch a little too hard. Mary growls, agitated at the reminder of her husband.   
"Robert, can you shut him up?"   
"How exactly do you want me to do that?"  
"I don't know, knock him out again."  
Joey squirms in his seat, uncomfortable and nervous.   
"Sorry that I exist, I guess, Jesus." The sneer Mary shoots him is toxic and unforgiving.  
"Yeah, you should be."   
Joey hunches over, wincing as Robert drags another stitch through his skin. The sight is pretty upsetting, and you take a small dose of pity on him.  
"Mary, you don't have to be so mean to him. He's not the exact same person you knew." She leans in, baring her teeth as she squints in his direction.   
"That's exactly what I hate about him. All the redeemable parts of Joseph are gone, and now I'm only left with the asshole parts." You pinch the bridge of your nose, cursing yourself for not just letting Joey bail on you.   
"Well, he's stuck with as until we kill the demon."   
Joey pipes up from the bed again. "Can't kill it, remember? I honestly don't know what you guys are planning to do, that thing is indestructible." Robert sets the sewing supplies away, pulling out a bandage and starting the process of wrapping it around Joey's shoulder.   
"Well, if you're the demon expert, what do you suggest we do, smart guy?"   
Joey looks into his hands for a minute, defeated, before shrugging his good shoulder. "Exorcism?"   
Before anyone can respond to him, you hear a knocking at the motel room door. The four of you freeze, eyeing each other with growing panic. None of you had told anyone about where you were going or what had happened, and everyone you knew was a state away now.  
You hear another knock, and this time you realize it sounds like small hands rapping at it erratically.   
Very slowly, Mary stands up from her chair and walks over to the door. She glances over her shoulder at the three of you, face white as a sheet, before peering through the peephole in the door.   
She lets out a strangled gasp, covering her mouth and stepping back in shock, before rushing forwards again to look again. You can see her knees begin to tremble visibly, and your stomach knots with dread.  
"Christie?"


	2. Chapter 2

Joey is up and out of the bed in an instant, running up to Mary. You and Robert worriedly join them.

"What? Christie?" Joey is grabbing Mary's shoulder, shaking her with a wild look in his eyes, “Is it her?” Mary doesn't seem to notice him, still peering through the door’s peephole.

"Joseph, it’s... Christian and Christie and Chris. It's our kids, why..."

Mary shakes her head, brows knit together.

"Well then open the fucking door!" 

Robert gently pushes Mary aside so that he can look, and she numbly allows him to, stumbling back with wide, fearful eyes. When Robert looks through the peephole, he freezes too, breath audibly catching in his throat. Joey stares at Robert, wringing his hands anxiously.

"Mary, these aren't your kids." Robert steps back smoothly, allowing Joey to crowd the door and take a look as well. He stares for a minute, then turns back towards Robert, furious.

"What the fuck are you talking about? Those are my kids out there!

“You're being fucking ridiculous, I'm gonna-" Joey reaches for the door handle, intending to unlock and open the door, but something in you prompts you to swat his hand away. A sense of unease had crept over you, and as you shove Joey away to look through the door, the unease turns into dread.

The three Christiansen children are indeed standing in front of your door, but something seems off about them. No matter how much you look at them and tell yourself that they are the Christiansen children, something in your gut tells you that they aren't. Joey is yelling at Robert behind you.

"How are they not my kids?! What the fuck is wrong with all of you?!"

You finally realize what’s wrong with them, and your stomach drops sickly.

“Their eyes.”

All three of the children have gooey, pitch black eyes. It's not just the pupil, the entire eyeball is enveloped in darkness, shining wetly in the light from the balcony. You stumble away from the door, bumping into Robert and letting him catch you. Joey looks back through the porthole, his shoulders slumping.

"Maybe... maybe they're..."

Mary's voice comes out wet, on the verge of tears.

"Our children are dead, Joey. Whatever those things are, they aren't them."

You hear a knock again, and this time a small voice accompanies it.

"Dad, please let us in! Please, it's us!"

A sob escapes from Joey. Another voice from outside joins in.

"Please, dad! It's so cold out here! We're so scared!"

Their voices do sound like the children you had come to know, but they’re devoid of any real emotion. Joey is now shaking, holding his hand up as if he wanted to unlock the door, but knew he couldn't, that he shouldn’t. Mary is shaking her head and covering her ears, mumbling to herself, reassuring herself that it’s not really them.

Robert steps forward, tentatively reaching for Joey’s shoulder.

"Joey, c'mon, it's not-"

Their banging suddenly becomes violent and frantic, the three voices outside start screaming, begging Joey to let them in.

Joey reaches for the lock, but Robert is quicker, grabbing Joey from around the waist and pulling him backwards towards the bed. Joey starts to thrash, yelling for his children. You jump in, grabbing him and helping Robert restrain him. As he kicks and screams and the two of you grapple with him, you feel a searing pain in one of your arms.

Looking down, you see that Joey has his teeth clamped onto you, growling as he bites down. Cursing, you plug his nose, hoping that it will make him let go of you. Robert throws him onto the bed and rolls on top of him, pinning him down as gently as he can so that he doesn’t hurt him. When Joey finally stops biting you, he goes back to screaming and yelling. The way his voice cracks in anguish makes you half wish he would go back to biting you. Tears are streaming down his face in rivets, and sobs wrack his body. 

You hear the door unlock, and all three of you still, turning to see Mary slowly opening the door. Joey freezes, transfixed as he watches the door swing open. Mary is shaking so hard that you're afraid her legs might give out, and time feels like it has slowed to a crawl. Fear sears your skin painfully, and as the door opens all the way to reveal the three children, you feel like vomiting. Their black eyes bore into you, into the entire room, and grins too big for their small faces crack their chapped lips.

Robert is off of Joey in an instant, slamming into the door full force with his body, making it shut before any of them can get in. You’re still loosely holding onto Joey, who is staring wide-eyed at the closed door. Robert whirls around to face Mary, grabbing her shoulders.

"What the fuck were you thinking?! Do you even know what those are?"

Mary gives him a confused, dazed look, still trembling, and shakes her head.

Robert growls with frustration and let's go of Mary, leaning against the door. It is eerily quiet on the other side. "If we had let those things in here, we would be fucked beyond repair."

"As if we aren't already?" Robert turns on Joey, gritting his teeth.

"You don't seem to fucking get it, do you? You think this is bad?” Joey sits up angrily, slipping out of your grip.

"I lived through sharing my body with a demon for a large portion of my life, if I die just because I get to hold my kids one last time I don't think it's half bad."

Robert leans in towards Joey until they're uncomfortably close, sneering condescendingly.

"Those. Were not. Your kids. How are you not realizing this?"

Tears are still running down Joey's face, his expression pained and hurt.

"Just because you pushed your kid away doesn't mean you get to judge others for wanting to hold theirs close, Robert."

Mary comes to stand next to Robert, glaring down at Joey disapprovingly. "You're acting like you're their only parent. They were my children too." Joey looks up at her scornfully, his lip curled in disgust.

"You sure didn't act like it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, I don't think you actually loved them enough to be considered their mother, with how much you fucking neglected them."

Mary lunges forward for Joey, and you stand up quickly, grabbing her shoulders and stopping her from pouncing on him.

"I birthed those pieces of shit! Just because they all looked like you doesn't mean they aren't mine!"

Joey stands shakily, holding his injured shoulder again, as if protecting himself physically would protect him emotionally as well. You subconsciously reach your hand out between them, putting up a barrier.

"It's not my fault that they all looked like me, okay? You can blame the fucking demon for that! Does your hatred for me really outweigh your love for your kids?!" They’re both yelling now, and Mary balls her hands into fists angrily as she retorts.

“You don’t understand what it’s like! Two miscarriages Joseph, and they just kept fucking coming! I stopped loving you a long time ago, but dammit, I wanted at least one kid to look like me!”

“That doesn’t mean you get to fucking punish them! It wasn’t their fault that they existed! They fucking loved you!” he pauses, wringing his hands, then more quietly: “I fucking loved you.”

“Yeah, you loved everybody, didn’t you?! Were you thinking about the kids while you were busy loving every single man on the fucking block, Joseph?!” They’re centimeters apart now, spit flying into each others faces. Joey’s lip is trembling, and he bites it hard, drawing blood.

“Were you thinking about them when you let them die?”

Mary's hand shoots out and slaps Joey, hard. He recoils, reaching up to hold his face, and he steps away, avoiding eye contact with Mary.

The room is silent, and you look over to see Robert wearing the same shocked expression as you.

"I liked you better when you were a demon."

Mary turns on her heel, walking up to the door and glancing through the peephole. "They're gone." She opens the door and steps out into the night, pausing before slamming it behind her.

"Don't wait up for me." You briefly see the sparkle of fresh tears on her face before she disappears.

Joey collapses back onto the bed, curling in on himself and sobbing quietly into his hands. You and Robert look at each other uncomfortably, unsure of what to do in this situation.

What do you say after something like that?

Robert clears his throat. "I'm gonna... um...." he looks around the cramped motel room, searching for an escape, "I should check on Mary." He exits quickly, leaving you alone with Joey.

Steeling your nerves, you go to sit beside him, unsure of what he needs from you. You lift your hand up behind his back, wanting to soothe him in some way, but you let it drop back down. This new Joey’s boundaries and preferences are a complete mystery to you, and it feels like starting back at square one.

"Is your, uh... face okay?"

He lifts his head up, taking the hand he had been pressing into his cheek away to gently prod it. You see an angry, red mark in the middle of where her hand hit, blood quickly forming at the surface. Tentatively, you reach out for his face, and he lets you take hold of it, a small blush forming across his cheeks. The mark, located under his left eye, is starting to swell and bruise.

"I think she got you with her ring. It's not bleeding, though." He nods, and you reluctantly pull your hands away, letting him have his face back. Tears begin to dribble down his face again.

"I just... I can't believe they're gone." His voice cracks, and he buries his face back into both of his hands.

You try to imagine what it must be like, losing all of your children, but even just the thought of losing Amanda sets you off. You remember seeing Christie, what felt like forever ago, running through the Christiansen's kitchen happily, and Joseph watching her fondly, brownie batter on his nose.

You finally let your hand rest on his back, and he leans heavily into your side, still covering his face.

"You're a good father, Joey. I don't think even a demon can stop you from loving and caring for your kids, and what it did isn’t your fault." You feel him shudder, a strangled noise escaping his throat. You squeeze him to your side, laying your cheek on his head. He presses against you, more and more until he’s hiding into your side.

When Robert comes back in, Joey has stopped crying, and is now leaning on your shoulder, staring at nothing. Robert, quietly closing the door behind him, quietly pads over to the bed and gently sits down next to Joey on his other side. He doesn't look at either of you, sitting awkwardly, as if unfamiliar with his own skin. You can relate, you think, feeling out of your element as well. Cautiously, he reaches behind Joey and rests his hand next to yours on his back.

"... I'm sorry." Neither of them look at each other, but Joey shakes his head.

"It's okay. I understand." Robert slides his fingers in between yours, flattening both of your hands over Joey’s back.

"Doesn't mean I should be an asshole to you, though."

Joey reaches a hand out and rests it lightly on Roberts knee, and the three of you sit in silence, connected.

The three of you wake up the next morning to find Mary still asleep in the car, make up smudged in places you didn’t think it could get to. Robert wakes her up gently, and she says nothing, climbing into the back seat with you to let Robert drive. As the four of you get settled into the car, Robert turns to address the group.

"Alright, where are we heading?"

Mary is trying to comb her hair out with her fingers, wincing as she hits multiple knots and tangles. She pauses, thinking.

"Well, where would it go? Does Joseph..." she trails off and looks over to Joey, who's avoiding her gaze. Her face softens apologetically. "Joey, do you... uh, have any relatives it could possess?"

When Joey looks back at her, she gives him a small smile, and the tenseness of his shoulders seems to relax a little.

"I don't know, my uh... my family was kind of weird about relatives." He looks back at the dashboard, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. Mary looks like she's about to criticize him, but seems to catch herself before she says anything.

"Is... your face okay?" Joey nods his head numbly.

"Joey, I'm sorry about last night. I know that... you aren't Joseph. I'm still mad at you for a lot of the shit you did, but… I shouldn’t have done that." she bites her lip and goes back to yanking on her hair. Joey looks back at her, a puzzled, surprised look crossing his face.

"Uh... yeah. Thanks. I mean, I would slap myself too, so. I'm sorry too."

Mary doesn't acknowledge him, but when he turns back around, she's smiling. "You did kind of deserve it."

"Hey, we did the gross mushy-feely shit already, that's just overkill."

Joey gives a small start, as is realizing something, and turns back around to face you and Mary excitedly. "Oh! I just remembered! I have a cousin from my father’s side down in Georgia named…” he scrunches up his face, concentrating. His nose wrinkles in a way that is way too adorable for a grown man, but you can’t say that you mind. “Ruth? I think it was Ruth. I think they were around Carroll county? Some small ass town out in the middle of nowhere-ville. We went down there one year for some sort of family gathering." `Robert starts the car, pulling out of the motel’s parking lot.

"She wouldn't also have the last name Christiansen, would she?"

"She's probably married, so that's gonna make it tricky." Robert taps his thumbs on the steering wheel.

"Well, at least it's a start."

You're crossing the border from New York to Pennsylvania when you spot it. You aren't exactly sure who sees it first, but by the time the enormous shadow is passing above you, you're all on high alert. Joey slams open the sunroof, squinting up into the sky, and Robert skids to a halt on the open road and pulls over. Without saying a word, you all exit the car and stare up into the sky.

Above you, four enormous birds soar through the air. Too large to be normal birds, or even large birds of prey, they blot out the sun, plunging the previously bright landscape into darkness. They circle around you, not unlike vultures, and as you look around, you realize you're the only people for as far as the eye can see. You hear Mary whisper a quiet "what the fuck..." to herself under her breath. You silently second the thought.

It feels like time is slowing, watching them. The ground seems to dance with how the light flickers through the gaps in between them, simulating being under water. One lets out a bellowing, deep screech, echoing and massive. As you watch them, awe-struck, you realize one of them has two extra sets of eyes. Another one has a molten gold beak, dazzling and luxurious. The largest one snaps it’s wings down, hard, and the sound of thunder crackles around you, electric despite the clear weather. They are beautiful, magnificent, and terrifying.

Robert is the first to get back in the car, and the rest of you are soon to follow. None of you say a word, and the four birds follow you for the next seven miles. They disperse before you see anyone else.

You make it to southeastern Pennsylvania before anyone says anything after seeing the enormous birds. It's just starting to reach afternoon hours, but even this early, you all look, and feel, exhausted. Roberts voice is gravelly when he speaks.

"It isn't normal to see that many cryptids in such a short span of time." You can tell that he's thinking at a mile a minute, mapping out theory after theory, working desperately to connect the dots. You can almost see the wall full of pictures and strings broadcasting out from his forehead.

"Well, it's also not every day that your husband turns out to be a demon." Mary shifts in her seat, rubbing at her eyes as if she had just woken up. You're starting to feel the effects of driving for so long as well, and your muscles ache, screaming for activity.

"Do you think they're connected?"

Joey starts lightly tapping his fingers on the dash. "It's possible. I don't know how popular that demon is in general, but in the cult it was considered a god. Thought pretty fuckin' highly of itself, too."

Mary rolls her eyes. "So what, all of these monsters and shit are fanboys?" Joey shrugs.

"Could be. I honestly don't know. But I think we're gonna be stuck with this for a whi-"

Joey is cut off abruptly by a loud, shrieking scream coming from somewhere off the side of the road. You jump, kicking Roberts seat in front of you on accident. Mary is sitting ramrod straight, peering out the windows and scanning the trees.

"What the fuck?!"

You lean into your window and look out, seeing nothing at first, feeling panicked. You hear another blood curdling scream.

Through the trees, it emerges.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aw shoot dog now were finally gettin somewhere  
> also if you guys want to know which cryptids are which if im not clear enough just let me know and ill put it in the tags


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is a little shorter than normal but the next chapter is normal sized

You first think it’s a flying goat, bat wings flapping furiously behind it as it rapidly pursues you. As you make out more of it, however, you realize it’s front legs are short and curled like a reptile’s, and the way it moves is grotesquely human. The sight of it makes your blood run cold.  
"Robert, we've got company." You're surprised with yourself for keeping your voice so calm, and give yourself a mental high five. Desensitization, for the win.   
Joey spots it soon after you do. "Fucking hell, what is that thing?"   
It lets out another scream and swoops down towards your car, barely missing you and causing Joey to let out a nervous yell. Robert speeds up the car, the goat keeping pace with you. Mary is watching it now, too, her mouth set into a grim line.   
"Well, I don't think it's friendly." It swoops down again, this time connecting with the back of the car, jostling it. Mary faces forward in her seat again, gripping her seat belt tightly.   
"Hey Robert, you got any guns?"   
Robert grits his teeth as he attempts to take a sharp turn, just barely avoiding the road barrier.   
"You know Mary, if I was a smart person I would have one."  
"Robert, you fucking idiot."   
"Love you too, Mary."   
The goat monster collides with your car again, and you yelp. Frantically, you all look around the car for anything you can use against it. Joey reaches down and pulls up an empty beer bottle, letting out a triumphant laugh.   
Quickly rolling down the window, he readies the bottle, then chucks it at your pursuer with a grunt. You watch as the bottle sails through the air and makes impact with the creature’s head. It lets out another shriek as it topples backwards in the air, doing a full reverse somersault before slamming into the pavement.  
"Booyah! Headshot!"   
Robert echoes Joey’s victory with a holler, and Mary lightheartedly punches Joey’s seat in excitement.   
You, however, watch in horror as the flying goat gets up and starts galloping after you, completely unfazed. The sound it makes is demonic.   
"Well, now you've made it mad."   
Robert smacks Joey lightly in the side of the head. "You idiot!"   
"What did I do?!"   
Robert gestures widely, as if to say: everything in general.  
You search the car floor frantically for more ammunition, coming up empty. You begin to desperately kick your feet around under Robert’s seat, and feel a bottle come loose.   
You grab it and prepare to toss it, but when you turn to look out your window, the goat is sprinting neck and neck with the car, right next to you. It is staring right at you.  
For a split second, you look into it’s eyes, falling into their abyss. You find nothing but primal hunger. Fear overtakes your entire body, and you reflexively drop the bottle, recoiling from the window in disgust.   
Robert looks back, viewing the goat as well. Sticking his tongue out between his teeth distractedly, his eyes dart between the creature and the road, calculating and recalculating. With a sudden ferocity, he jerks the wheel to the left, making the car slam into the beast before being quickly righted again.   
The goat staggers and disappears from your view, and you turn to watch it’s body become further and further away as it lays splayed out across the road. It begins to get up, but doesn't attempt to follow you again, standing at full height and watching you.   
As you drive away, you can't seem to force yourself to tear your eyes away from it. 

 

"So you aren't actually religious?" You, Mary and Robert had been interrogating Joey about his life as a demon for the past hour of driving, curiosity winning out over politeness. You had made it over the Pennsylvania border and had passed through Maryland and West Virginia, now landing you in about the middle of Virginia. Joey shrugs noncommittally at Robert’s question.   
"How can I believe in a higher power when it let me go through all this bullshit?" Mary snorts at that.   
"It’s like you haven’t even read the Old Testament."   
"Oh, I've read it alright, but do I believe it?" You feel yourself laughing along with them, their playful banter easing your nerves.   
The four of you had become more relaxed after the goat scare (or, as Robert had informed you, the Jersey Devil), the adrenaline burning off any residual mistrust. Talking to Joey was feeling less like reconciling with a traitor, and a lot more like catching up with an old friend you didn't know you had.   
"Okay, okay, okay," Robert waves his hands around, grabbing Joey's attention, "So you're not religious, but do you really like Jimmy Buffet that much?"   
Joey leans back, arms crossed behind his head and a devilish smile on his face. "Oh yes, I fucking love Jimmy Buffet."   
You, Mary and Robert collectively groan. You throw your hands up in the air.   
"Are we allowed no reprieve?" Joey pouts, clutching his chest in mock agony.   
"C'mon, it was an escape for me. Like how teens do with punk rock music, except my Green Day was the sweet, sweet island tunes of Mr. James Buffet."   
Robert sticks his tongue out in disgust. "Joey, all three of us are traumatized from your poor taste in music. And I mean that literally, turning on the radio is a gamble for my mental safety."   
Robert is absolutely right. Before meeting Joseph, you had been pretty indifferent to Jimmy Buffet, but now the light strum of a guitar is enough to send you bolting for the nearest exit.   
"Oh come on guys, Jimmy Buffet is just what you need to cheer yourself up." Mary pokes his shoulder good naturedly.  
"Oh I see, you're still religious, it's just you're a follower of Buffet now."   
The car begins to jostle, then vibrate, and you and Mary give each other a worried look. Robert glares at the speedometer as you slow down to a crawl, and he pulls off to the side of the road, cursing. The car eventually stops, and Robert groans in frustration. You peer over his shoulder.  
"What happened? Are we out of gas?" He taps the gas gauge, which shows to be half full.   
"Nope. Must be something else."  
The four of you climb out to inspect the car, and you glance down to see that the back tire on your side is deflated, sagging to the ground. Looking closer, you see that there are what appear to be jagged claw marks on it.   
"We got a flat. I think that Jersey bitch got it." You stand up and call over the car to Mary. "How's the other side?"   
She steps back, inspecting her sides back tire. "This one looks fine. I think it's just the one. I'm sure we have an extra in the trunk, right?"   
Robert pops open the back and rummages around. His face becomes more desperate the deeper he goes, until he finally looks up at the three of you, a dark look gracing his features.   
"It's not here."   
Joey groans and rubs his temples, closing his eyes in frustration. "That's really fucking great. What're we gonna do?"   
"Well," Robert rummages around in his coat pocket, pulling out a cigarette and a lighter, "we could just wait here and flag down someone who could help us."   
Joey tugs at his hair. "We've only seen, like, 3 people in the past two hours."   
You glance around, hoping that somehow, a solution would just pop up. Surrounding you are trees, suffocatingly close and dense.   
"Maybe... I can go look for help. I'm sure there's gotta be people close by." Mary side eyes you wearily.  
"Alone? Kid, do you have a death wish?" She holds her hand up, "Wait, don't answer that, you've already proven that you do."   
"I can go with him." Joey is playing with the hem of his shirt, avoiding your eyes as he says it. Mary squints at him.   
"Since when were you so god damn helpful?"   
"Since its better than waiting here for demons to come and kill us."   
"Oh, and going out in the woods is any safer?"   
Joey opens his mouth to retort, the closes it again, embarrassed. He crosses his arms, glaring at the ground. You find it kind of cute that he’s embarrassed about wanting to be alone with you, and you find yourself blushing. Mary’s face softens a little, and she grins at the two of you.   
"Alright, so it's a plan. You two go play Boy Scouts, and my good friend Robert-" she slings an arm around Robert’s neck, and he wiggles his eyebrows at the two of you, "- and I will stay here and party. Like the cool kids we are." They fist bump. You roll your eyes as hard as I can.   
"Yeah, yeah, don't get too high without me." They both stick their tongues out at you, and you laugh, looping your arm with Joey’s and heading off down the highway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyway here have some happy road trip kids, dont worry pain is right around the corner again but we gotta take a fluff boat to get there


	4. Chapter 4

The two of you quickly come upon a turnoff from the highway, leading to a single winding dirt road. It is dark and looks dangerous, but you know your next option probably wouldn't be for another three miles.  
You cautiously lead the way as the setting sun casting long, unnerving shadows across the ground. At one point you jump at a sound, grabbing Joseph's hand in panic. You realize quickly that it was a squirrel, and you sheepishly let go, giving him an embarrassed smile.  
"Sorry, got spooked." He returns your smile kindly, and your heart flutters in your chest. Was he always this cute?  
"S'okay. It's a spooky place."  
"I thought nothing would spook you. You know, after being possessed ‘n’ all.”  
Joey gets a distant look in his eye, turning away to gaze at the trees. "You'd think, huh? But..." he trails off, worrying his lip between his teeth. Hesitantly, you reach out for his hand again, gently holding it in yours.  
"Wanna talk about it?"  
"No. That's too much pressure on you."  
"No it's not, Joey. It's okay to talk about these things." He still shakes his head, but doesn't let go of your hand, instead tightening his grip.  
"I think I just... I want to enjoy this, right now. It's nice being in control of my body, and getting to enjoy things. Like this."  
You feel your face heat up at the thought that he actually enjoys things like taking walks with you, and holding your hand. You rub your thumb on his skin, partly to comfort him, partly to take in as much as you can of him. You're surprised to find how soft it is, especially compared to Robert’s calloused and scarred hands.  
"Do you moisturize?" Joey glances at you, startled, before letting out a loud, abrupt laugh. It's a laugh you've never heard before from him: carefree, unbridled, yet still gentle and light. It somehow reminds you of fields of daisies and afternoon naps in the sun.  
God, you’re a sap.  
"No, does it feel like i do?"  
"Joey, your hands are softer than a baby angel’s ass."  
Joey laughs again, and you take the moment to admire his face, a bright, healthy blush tinting his cheeks, his eyes crinkled with mirth. He looks over at you, sighing contentedly as he smiles, and you can't help but smile back at him.  
"You know," he starts, smirking cheekily, "it may be spooky, but…”  
His face softens. “it's not so bad with you here."  
"I could say the same for you." His blush darkens, and you squeeze his hand again. 

As the two of you keep walking, the ground starts becoming fogged. At first you think it's just evening mist, but as it becomes more condensed, your nose and eyes start to burn. the way Joey is rubbing at his own eyes tells you it's affecting him in the same way.  
"Is someone burning something?" You shrug and rub furiously at your nose, the sting becoming painful.  
"If they are, it means we're close to a house."  
You come up to a smaller road veering off from the one you're on horizontally. Hoping that it's a driveway to a house, you jog up ahead and peer down it. Once you do, however, you freeze, fear inhibiting you.  
Standing in front of you are three metallic beings. Their eyes glow red, and their dark, metallic skirts and headdresses glint in the light of the setting sun. You feel Joey come up next to you, freezing as well, labored breath catching in his throat.  
None of you move, starting each other down.  
"What the fuck are those?"  
One of the beings hisses, and without a second thought you grab Joey's hand (much less gently this time) and continue sprinting down the main road as fast as your legs can carry you.  
After about a minute or two of running, the two of you come upon a house. Slowing to a stop to look behind you, you find nothing pursuing you, and you both try to catch your breath. Joey's nose is bleeding ferociously, blood staining his top.  
"Ah shit, Joey, your nose..." he lifts a hand up, grimacing as he pulls it away to examine it.  
"Ugh, gross. Must've been that fucking nasty smoke." He lifts his arm up to wipe at the blood, only managing to smear it over his arm and face as more blood gushes out. Sighing, he walks up to the house’s porch, and you follow him nervously. He rings the doorbell, which echoes loudly around the yard, it's bells off key and grating. The woman who opens the door has a kindly face and bobbed hair.  
"Well hello, can I help-" she lets out a startled gasp, a hand flying to her face when she sees Joey. "Your face! Are you okay?!"  
Joey doesn't seem impressed, and he doesn't smile as sighs at her distress. "It's just a nosebleed, ma'am, I'm fine. We were wondering if you could help us, we've got a flat and-"  
The woman turns to call into the house, ignoring almost all of what Joey said. "David! David we have visitors!"  
Almost immediately, a large, bald man comes up behind the woman, placing a hand on her petite shoulder, dwarfing it. He smiles at the two of you, his teeth small and crooked. You try to smile back at him, but feel a sense of unease, still shaken from the encounter on the road.  
"What can we help you folks with?"  
Joey, clearly annoyed, starts speaking again.  
"As I was saying, we have a flat tire, and we could really-"  
"A flat tire, you say? Well that can be fixed easy! But it's late, have you been on the road for long?" Joey looks like he's going to blow a fuse, so you decide to take over.  
"Yeah, actually, our buddies are back with the car. If we could just-"  
The woman interrupts you again, thin lips stretched over her teeth in a wide smile. "Well you all must be starving! I'll send my boys to get your friends and push the car back to the house, and in the meantime I'll start making dinner!"  
Joey shifts uncomfortably. "That's okay, we're fine, we really just need the tir-"  
"Jim! Charles! Come down here! We have guests!"  
Just as quickly as David had appeared, two young men, possibly even still teenagers, appear in the doorway as well.  
One is wearing a tattered t-shirt of some obscure rock band, slim fingers picking at his sore covered fingers and twitching his neck. The other one, who looks slightly older, is a well dressed, well groomed boy, with slicked back blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes.  
His resemblance to Joey is striking, but as you compare the two, you realize they have a lot of differences. Even just the way they hold themselves is different. Whereas the young man stands up straight, his face open and inviting, Joey is hunched and defensive, with a guarded expression and shifty eyes.  
The younger Joey clone beams brightly at you, and you can't help but smile back, feeling a sense of comfort wash over you.  
"Jim? Would you be a dear and take your brother to go help our guest's friends push their car back to the house? I believe they are..." Bonnie gives you a smile, and you force yourself to drag your eyes away from the handsome blonde to acknowledge her, "where did you say your friends are, dear?"  
"Up by the highway, but that's pretty far..."  
Bonnie and David give each other a confused look, then look back to you.  
"Yes, well, I suppose our little road here might seem long to city folk..." Jim speaks up again, clapping his hand fondly on Charles shoulder.  
"Of course, ma, well be right back with that."  
As you and Joey let the two boys pass through, you think Jim might wink at you. Bonnie ushers you inside.  
"Come in, come in, I'll make some coffee for you." As you follow her into the dining room, David sits at the table and gestures for you to as well.  
As he sits at the head, you sit next to him on the side, and Joey next to you on your other side. Joey immediately starts playing with the fabric napkin at his place setting, so you take it upon yourself to initiate smalltalk.  
"Thank you so much for helping us and for dinner, David. I really don't know how we can repay you, we don't really have any money..." David lets out a hearty laugh, slapping the table jovially.  
"Don't even worry about it, son. Our family finds pleasure in the helping of others, there is no sweeter reward than knowing you have been of service." You feel Joey bristle next to you, tearing aggressively at the napkin in front of him.  
"You're obviously not from around here, where are you from, son?"  
"Oh, were up from Massachusetts, in-" Joey kicks your leg under the table, hard, not looking up. Your eyes water slightly with pain. "Just outside of Boston, actually."  
"Ah, so you are city folk. I could tell." You nod your head, side eyeing Joey. He keeps glancing up to glare at you, but you aren't sure why.  
David continues, oblivious to Joey. "That's all alright, different strokes for different folks, am I right?" David winks and you get the nauseating impression that he means that in a completely sexual way. It would be funny, but the way his scalp glistens and his tongue moves wetly behind his teeth is severely off putting. You force out a laugh and a nod anyway.  
"I don't think you mentioned your names?"  
You silently berate yourself, shaking your head in humility. "Oh, yes, forgive me! This here is my friend Joey, and I'm-"  
As you say your name, you hear the screen door slam open. You and Joey turn to see Jim and Charles come strolling in, with Robert and Mary in tow. Mary is hanging off of Jim’s arm, making the biggest goo goo eyes you've ever seen her make. A competitive flare strikes up in you before you remind yourself that Jim is probably 20, and that boys are so not something you should be focused on right now.  
Robert spots you, and gives you a coy grin.  
Okay, maybe boys are kind of something you are focusing on right now.  
"And... these are our friends, Robert and Mary." David stands up, gesturing to the table.  
"Ah, yes! Take a seat, my wife Bonnie will be out with coffee any minute. I hope Jim and Charles were able to help you push the car back?"  
As Robert and Mary sit across from you, Charles and Jim slip in as well, with Jim taking a seat next to Mary, and Charles sinking down into the chair next to Joey.  
Joey leans slightly towards you, as if physically repelled by Charles, just as Mary leans over to Jim, giving him one of the seductive smiles she usually deployed on men at Jim and Kim's.  
"They didn't just help, they wouldn't even let us touch it! Your sons are so strong." Jim blushes, grinning back at Mary. Robert seems to melt a little at Jim’s facial expression as well, resting his chin on a hand and smiling at him dreamily.  
"You're too kind, Mary, it really was no problem. It's the least we could do." Robert is now sending Jim full on heart eyes as well, and you really can't blame him.  
"You young people are always so strong, makes me miss my youth." Jim leans back in his chair and lets out a delighted laugh at Robert’s words. You feel your heart swell with happiness and emotion. Even his laugh is cute?  
"I'm not really that young, Robert, I'm almost 45!"  
Well, there goes your last excuse.  
"What? No way! You look so young!"  
"Yes way! The real youngster of the family is Charles, he's 27." Charles leans back in his chair, pushing his long, greasy black hair out of his eyes.  
"Just turned it, too. And dang, it feels good." You all have a laugh at that, except for Joey, who is now glowering at the loose threads of his napkin.  
Bonnie comes out, carrying four white coffee mugs with expertise. As she sets them in front of you, she sits at the end opposite David, smiling at the four of you.  
"So I heard you're from Massachusetts, but what are you doing all the way down here?" As you take a sip of the coffee, Joey speaks for the first time since walking in the door.  
"Visiting relatives."  
You think Bonnie's face might twitch, but you pass it off as a trick of the light.  
"Oh yes? And where is that?"  
"Georgia."  
"Well, that's lovely. You know, family is everything." She takes her son’s hands and smiles across the table at David. You're struck with a pang of sadness as you're reminded of Amanda. You abandoned your own daughter, but it was for the best, and she's safe.  
But how safe?  
Before you can work yourself into a panic attack, Robert, who looks equally as uncomfortable at the mention of family as you feel, clears his throat. "Yes, well. We all know how important that is." The four of you exchange glances, your sudden stiffness going unnoticed by your hosts. Robert quickly changes the subject. "Bonnie, what do you and David do?"  
"Oh, well, David and the boys run a little corn and apple operation here on the farm. They're a town favorite. And I help run the church." Marys face lights up.  
"Oh! Joey here is a youth minister!"  
David turns to Joey, meaty hands folded in front of him. You notice that Joey hasn't touched his coffee. "Is that so? May I ask what faith?"  
This time, Joey looks David straight in the eye, his features cold and hard. "Christian. And you?"  
David eyes Bonnie somewhat nervously. "Us as well."  
You hear a timer from the kitchen, and Bonnie stands up again.  
"Ah! That must be the stew. Let me go grab it." Before she can leave the table, Joey suddenly stands as well, stiff and abrupt.  
He's glaring at her, and his napkin, which now has multiple threads hanging out of it, is gripped tightly in his hand. You think he might be shaking, and you, Mary and Robert give each other startled looks. Joey’s voice is low and furious, and into the hand not holding the napkin, he slips a butter knife from the table.  
"You're not going anywhere."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: hey i have a tumblr now its saccharinepeccadillowrites   
> ALSO i think i may have somehow posted chapt 5 before chapt 4 and for that i am so so sorry


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey im gonna have to add a heavy trigger warning for violence and gore tags, get ready for a fun ride fellas (if you're not cool with that then def skip this chapter)  
> @ jules you're gonna wanna expand that what the fuck to joey cuz whooo boy

"Joey?" Mary and Robert look just about as startled as you feel, eyeing Joey nervously.  
Bonnie is smiling, but something seems off. “What’s the matter, Joey?” She seems rigid, livid, even.  
"You all think you're so cute, don't you." Joey’s grip tenses on the butter knife, "You're so fucking obvious."  
Bonnie is toying with her fork, her face thoughtful. "Watch your language, young man. Now sit. Back. Down."  
Robert’s eyes dart between Bonnie and Joey. "Joey, what's going on?" Joey doesn't take his eyes off of Bonnie.  
"Isn't it obvious?" You and Robert give each other a confused look. You feel tense, your muscles strung taught.  
Joey is shaking now, his breathing fast and panicked. "How many? How many people have you taken in? Or are they all dead?"  
David slowly stands up next to you, brushing himself off. He suddenly seems twice his size and much less friendly. You feel a spike of fear shoot through you, but you aren't quite sure of what. You sit frozen in your seat, flanked by two powerful, volatile forces.  
"Not everyone can be perfect, son.” David cracks his knuckles, regarding Joey coolly. “Charles, take care of our friend Joseph."  
Charles, jittery and neurotic, lunges out for Joey. As he does, Joey slams the butter knife into his hand, driving it into the table and nailing it there.  
Charles lets out an animalistic scream, staring in horror at his skewered hand. Joey reaches out onto the table again and grabs a fork, growling and preparing to lunge across the table at Bonnie. A hand shoots in front of you, and you watch in horror as David grabs Joey by the back of his shirt, dragging him across the table and securing an arm around his neck. You're frozen with shock, trying to will your body to do something, but all you can do is sit and watch as Joey struggles against David’s hold. Joey’s face, still covered in dried blood, looks beyond panicked as he kicks at the table and whines loudly. Bonnie eyes him with distaste.  
"Shame. I really thought we might have a chance with you. But now you've exposed us, and all of you are tainted."  
You feel slim, greasy fingers grab a hold of your hair, and a warm, bloody butter knife be placed gently at your throat. Charles titters next to your ear, his hot breath blowing uncomfortably onto your neck. You squirm against his grip miserably as Jim calmly grabs both Mary and Robert, who seem to be in as much crippling shock as you are.  
David suddenly lets out a string of curses, and you glance over to see Joey biting down hard onto David’s arm.  
Robert is the first to react, snapping out of his shocked stupor and elbowing Jim’s stomach as hard as he can. You grab Charles’ hand that's holding the knife, pushing it away as you dig your fingernails into the wounded hand on your head. Mary gets out of Jim’s grasp, and she lunges for Bonnie.  
You finally get Charles to let go, and you grab the knife from him, toppling out of your seat and scuttling backwards. He follows you, hunched over so that he’s almost on all fours, moaning bizarrely as he clutches his injured hand. Your back hits a wall, and you curse at yourself for cornering yourself like this.  
You point the knife at him, and he halts and sways on the spot, leering at you. You notice a bit of drool trickling down the side of his mouth, making you gag. He begins to lunge at you, but before he can, there is a disgusting, loud snap.  
You all freeze and turn to look at what made the noise. Joey is standing on the table, David’s head is his hands and a terrified look on his face.  
He let's go, pulling his hands up to his chest in disgust, and David drops from the table to the floor, his neck wiggling is a grotesque way. As his body settles to the ground, his head hangs off his shoulders at an awkward angle, loose and mortifying.  
Joey looks up, tears in his eyes, and sees Charles advancing on you with the knife. His face hardens into something emotionless, and in a swift, fluid motion he picks up another knife from the table and climbs down, robotically coming up behind Charles.  
Charles, mania now melting into panic, tries to bolt, but Joey catches him around his middle, dragging him back. Charles lets out a squeal, struggling as Joey raises the butter knife above his head. His expression doesn't change as he brings the knife down, emotionally disconnected from his actions. It pierces the base of Charles head, driving through his neck and coming out through the front of his neck, blood spilling onto his collar.  
His shaking and jittering immediately stops, his body slumping forward like a ragdoll. Joey smoothly pulls the knife back out and drops him, letting the body slam into the floor, much like how David’s did. Bonnie and Jim have both disengaged their fights, now both slowly backing up and away from Joey. Joey turns to Bonnie and begins walking towards her mechanically, knife in hand.  
"J-Joseph, there's no need for violence here."  
Joey’s face twitches violently. "Yes there is, Mother."  
With startling clarity, you finally fit the pieces together, the weight of the situation setting in. Bonnie, now cornered, lunges forward, stabbing Joey's arm with her fork. He doesn't seem to notice. He keeps walking forward, grabbing onto Bonnie's neck and holding her up against the wall.  
He holds her in place as she kicks desperately, and with no ceremony, he drives his knife into her eye socket. She lets out a garbled scream, and he draws the knife back, stabbing her face repeatedly until her face is more bloodied than his own, gore spilling out of the stab wounds. He drops her to the floor, watching her writhe for a moment with disinterest before stomping down hard onto her torso. You hear a loud crack, and she finally stops her moaning and moving.  
Joey turns to find Jim holding onto Robert, knife to his neck.  
"Move and I'll kill him."  
Joey freezes, face still set to a cold neutral, but tears smudge the blood on his face, making wet tracks through the red.  
Robert is staring at Joey, horrified. You know that it isn’t entirely because of Jim, because you feel it too, anxiety over how Joey is acting.  
Jim grins, letting out a breathless laugh against Robert’s ear.  
"Good. That's good, just don't move." Jim readjusts his grip, and you see Robert’s hand flash up to his waist, pulling away with something that glints in the low fluorescent light.  
With a swift flick of his wrist, he opens his whittling knife and plunges it into Jim’s leg. Jim flinches and grits his teeth, loosening his grip on Robert just enough for him to duck away and push him towards Mary. Jim stumbles into her, and she grabs his arms, locking them behind his back and making him drop his knife. Joey walks towards them, and Mary holds him still as Joey grabs his hair, holding Jim’s face up to his own.  
Jim looks panicked now, face pleading as Joey looms over him. "Please don't kill me, I didn't want to be a part of this, I was taken in against my will, I want to escape, I-"  
Joey reaches down and takes out Roberts knife from Jim’s knee, who’s blubbering is interrupted by a scream. Joey leans in again, sneering as he forces Jim to make eye contact.  
"Men like us never escape."  
Joey drives the knife in through Jims neck, coming in under one ear and out the other. Joey watches emotionlessly as the life drains from Jim’s eyes.  
Both he and Mary let go at the same time, stepping back to let the last body hit the floor. Mary slowly raises her hands to hold her torso in a hug, shaking violently as she stares at the sight before her.  
None of you say anything. Joey stares at Jim as fat, wet tears fall from his face and drop to the floor. Robert is sitting on the floor, face still laced with fear as he stares at Joey, and Mary slowly lifts her head to look at Joey too.  
The stench of blood starts to hit you, and you think you might throw up.  
It's Robert who moves first, slowly getting up and cautiously creeping towards Joey. You and Mary watch nervously as Robert stops in front of him, searching his face. Joey doesn't look away from Jim.  
"... Joey?" Joey doesn't react.  
Slowly, fearfully, Robert raises a hand and rests it on Joey’s shoulder. Other than a flinch, there is no response.  
"... Joey, don't look at him." When Joey still doesn't respond, Robert raises his other hand to gently guide Joey’s face up, making their eyes meet. Roberts eyes are glistening, on the verge of tears.  
"Joey, listen to me. It's over. They’re all gone."  
Joey deflates, falling forward to bury his face into Robert’s shoulder and letting Robert’s knife clatter to the floor. Robert hugs him back tightly, tears escaping his face and dripping onto Joey’s back. You hear Joey mumble something, but you can't make out the words. Robert pulls back just enough to get his mouth by Joey’s ear.  
"What was that?"  
"... I'm so fucking stupid." Robert pulls back fully, looking confusedly into Joey’s face.  
"What? No, what are you saying?"  
Joey’s face crumples into a pained expression, tears rolling out more quickly.  
"I should've known, I mean I did know, but I should've done something sooner. I knew something was off, but I thought..." he pulls Robert back into a hug. "I could've lost you. I could've lost all of you." 

When Robert and Joey go to fix the tire situation, you busy yourself with cleaning the bloodied knives and forks, not wanting to risk leaving evidence. Mary detachedly ransacks the house for booze, grabbing as many bottles as she can and stuffing them into the trunk of the car. After you're done cleaning, you search the house as well and grab possible weapons and gasoline, filling your tank back up and stuffing a couple cartons in the trunk.  
You end up grabbing all of their salt, too, which Mary chuckles at, but doesn't stop you. As soon as Robert and Joseph finish with the tire, you head out.  
The road back to the highway is much shorter than you remember.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the brevity of this chapter i thought it might be better to compile the violence into one chapter bc theres a pretty big mood shift from this chapter to next, again i have a tumblr saccharinepeccadillowrites if you wanna chat!!  
> EDIT: ALSO i myself drew art for this chapter so https://saccharinepeccadillowrites.tumblr.com/post/164569811278/saccharinepeccadillo-from-a-fanfic-im-trying-to


	6. Chapter 6

The four of you sit in a tense silence for awhile, not sure of what to say. Robert and Joey sit in the back, Joey resting his head against the glass of his window, gazing out of it with a distant expression. You make eye contact with Robert in the rear view mirror, his eyebrows knit up high in worry. You chew your lip nervously, glancing back at Joey.  
“Joey, are you… okay?”  
It takes him a second to respond, his voice unaffected and apathetic. “Yep.”  
He keeps looking out the window, running his fingers over his knuckles distractedly. Mary taps her thumbs on the steering wheel, glancing into the mirror to look at him as well.  
“Buddy, we know when you’re lying.” Joey shrugs a shoulder, still not looking away from the window. Mary sighs, annoyance starting to sift through. “What happened back there?”  
Joey slowly and sluggishly tears his eyes away from the road to stare at the back of Mary’s head. “I mean, you saw what happened. I don’t know what else there is to tell. I did my job.”  
Robert squints his eyes at Joey. “Joey, that’s not your job anymore.”  
Joey stares at Mary’s head for a second, confusion flitting across his face before going back to the window.  
“Oh, yeah.”  
Robert leans in closer to him, scooting his hand closer to him. “You remember what happened, right?”  
Joey shrugs again. “More or less.”  
Mary chews on a fingernail, worrying away at it. “Were those… uh… was that your family or something, or…”  
Joey’s glances over at Mary’s head again, expression becoming dark “What? No, my family lived in Maple Bay. And they all died a long time ago. Why would you…?”  
Mary gives you a confused glance. “You… uh…” she looks back out onto the road. “It’s nothing.” Joey squints at her before looking back out the window, lost in thought.  
You twist around in your seat, and Robert looks over at you, looking at a loss for what to say. You think for a second, rubbing your seat with your thumb.  
“Joey, what was your childhood like?”  
Joey’s head instantly whips over to look at you, panic and fear flashing across his face briefly. “It was fine.” He shakes his head, trying again, “I mean, no. It wasn’t fine. It was bad. I mean-” He leans back onto the window, glowering out of it. “I don’t want to talk about it.”  
You stare at him for a second. “Were you flashing back to something back there? Like, was there some kind of trauma, from before, or…”  
Joey’s gaze hardens. “That’s a stupid question.”  
“That’s not a no.”  
“It’s embarrassing.”  
You turn to look back at Mary, whose mouth is set into a thin line. “Sorry, but this sounds like something you should really talk about.”  
“No. It’s stupid. You guys would think I’m stupid. It’s… not important.” He presses his head deeper into the window. “I can’t. I was just doing my job, like usual. If I was, you know,” he waves his hands around condescendingly, “flashing back or whatever, it’s not something that I need fuckin’ therapy for.”  
You and Robert stare at him sadly. Robert let’s his hand inch over to Joey’s, and he slips them together. “Well, when you’re ready to talk about it, we’re here.”  
Joey looks down at their hands, then up at Robert. Robert gives Joey a small smile, and Joey smiles back briefly before his face falls again. Joey looks away, but leans over on Robert, resting his head on his shoulder.  
“...Thanks.”

At a pit stop in North Carolina, you see him. He emerges from the shadows and just stands there, watching the four of you. He's about as tall as a human, with glowing red eyes and fluffy wings. Robert sighs as he stares back at him, rubbing his temples.  
"God damn piece of shit."  
Mary reaches down and picks up a rock, tossing it at the large moth. It doesn't move, instead shuffling closer towards you.  
"Go on! Scram!"  
You sigh, walking back to the car, and the others follow you. He comes up to your car as you get in, tapping on your windows and peering in expectantly, and you honk the horn. He jumps, backing up a little, but immediately comes back, resuming his tapping. You turn around to address the whole car, trying your hardest to ignore Mothman.  
"We should probably find a motel for the night. It's getting late."  
Mothman scratches at your window, giving you the best puppy dog eyes that it can. Robert reaches across in front of you to press his middle finger into your window at Mothman.  
"Yeah, I think there should be one on the next exit."  
As you drive off, mothman wiggles it’s antenna after you sadly. 

You find yourself creeping out onto the balcony of the shitty motel room, early enough in the a.m. hours for it to still be pitch black outside. You had been quick to opt for the couch, knowing that you wouldn't get much sleep, and Robert had reluctantly accepted the second bed for himself. Mary and Joey were sharing a bed, but you felt like it was out of habit more than anything, as both of them had almost fallen off their respective sides multiple times throughout the night.  
Now, leaning on the railing and looking out over the parking lot, you realize how much has changed in the past day or two. Three days ago, you were watching TV with Amanda, eating ice cream straight from the carton.  
Just a couple hours ago, you witnessed one of your demonic road trip buddies murder four cultists in cold blood, six states away from your home and in the middle of nowhere.  
You hope Amanda is okay and eating well.  
You hear your hotel room’s door creak open, and Robert quietly emerges to stand next to you, lighting a cigarette as he leans against the balcony.  
"You too, huh?"  
His smoke curls above your heads lazily, drifting out into the warm air of the parking lot.  
"Mary fell off her bed again. I think they'd like each other a lot better if they just acknowledged that they're not in love anymore, you know?"  
You nod, and the two of you silently look out over the parking lot. Across the street, a neon sign for a 24/7 diner flashes, and the occasional car passes by. The hum of cicadas accompanies the warm nights breeze.  
"Are you prepared to kill Joey?"  
You give a jolt, not expecting such a morbid question. "What?"  
"If shit goes south down there, are you prepared to kill Joey? Are you prepared to kill any of us?"  
Robert fixes you with a stern gaze, the bags under his eyes prominent in the moonlight. You mull over his question for a second, unsure of how to answer. He sighs, rubbing his eyes tiredly.  
"I care about you. Back there, at the house... you're too much of a pacifist. I couldn't live with myself if you die just ‘cause you care too much." He looks back over out across the parking lot. "Joey’s way of approaching that situation wasn't great either, but... Where we’re at right now, it's safer to do that, than give them a chance.  
"Please promise me you won't let yourself get killed." His eyes are pleading, his hand shaking slightly as he grips the railing tightly. You run a hand through your hair, debating with yourself.  
"I.... will do everything in my power to protect the three of you. All four of us, we’re gonna get out of this alive, and with that thing dead. That's all that matters to me."  
You feel a blaze of righteous fury flare up in you as you think about the demon, as well as anger at yourself for your pacifism. "Earlier, that was a mistake on my part. I wasn’t prepared for what happened, but I am now." You chuckle to yourself a little. "I'm done sitting out on the sidelines, Robert. So no, I'm not prepared to kill any of you, because it's never gonna come to that. I won't let it."  
Robert is looking at you with an expression you can't quite place, a mixture of fear and admiration and sadness.  
He silently slips his hand behind your neck, pulling you in, and you let him, bringing your hands up to grip onto his shirt gently.  
There's a pause before his lips crash against yours, and you push into his mouth with equal fervor, your teeth knocking against each other lightly. When he pulls away, tears glisten in his eyes, threatening to pour out, and you pull him back in for another, much more gentle and slow kiss. This time when he pulls away, he presses his cheek against yours, the roughness of his stubble comforting. You press back, bringing your hands up from his shirt to tangle into his messy hair, caressing his scalp lovingly with your fingers. His gruff voice has a slight warble to it as he whispers into your ear.  
"You scare me sometimes, you know that? Both you and Joey. You're both fucking idiots."  
You smile as your press a chaste kiss onto his cheek, pulling away and smoothing out his shirt front. "Remind me again which one of us carries a knife around?"  
"Hey, it’s knives plural, and that's for my whittling hobby and you know it." You let out a chuckle, gazing into his eyes and watching as he smiles back.  
He doesn’t smile often, which makes the times he does all the more breathtaking.  
"... We should get some sleep, huh?"  
When the two of you go back inside, you head towards the chair you'd been dozing off in before hand, but Robert grabs your hand, leading you to the bed he'd been in.  
He grumbles quietly as he drags you along. “Idiot, there’s no way you’ll get any sleep on that thing.” You chuckle as you crawl in after him, thankful that you'd get sleep on an actual mattress tonight.  
You're almost asleep, cuddled up next to Robert with your hand splayed over his chest, when you hear someone from the other bed sit up. You and Robert both look over groggily to see Joey, rubbing at his eyes and hugging his knees. He glances over at Mary, sighing as he pulls his knees up to himself more tightly.  
Robert rolls his eyes, sitting up and pulling back the blanket, staring at Joey expectantly. Joey looks between the two of you, confusion melting into thankful understanding, before hopping over, settling in on the other side of Robert. When Joey stays at a respectful distance at the edge of the bed, Robert lets out an annoyed huff and pulls him closer, hugging him to his side. You move closer as well, sleepily nuzzling your face into Robert’s neck and reaching your arm over his chest, meeting Joey’s hand halfway and lacing your fingers together. You hear Joey sigh happily as you allow sleep to take you.

Once you get into Carroll County, it is ridiculously easy to find Joey’s cousin. The second you begin passing through a small, nondescript farming town, his face lights up with recognition, and he easily directs you to the town’s church.  
As you park out front, he hesitates in his seat, staring at the church doors. As Robert and Mary get out of the car, he stays put, unmoving.  
You hold your hand out to him, giving him your best reassuring smile. He looks up at you before taking it, his own hand trembling, and you give it a tight squeeze before letting go, and both of you get out of the car. He takes a deep breath of air, staring down the door before marching up the steps, leading the way as the rest of you follow.  
You all made sure beforehand to have at least one weapon on you, and your hands hover at the ready as Joey opens the doors and enters, unsure of what will happen inside or who you will meet.  
A woman stands alone at the altar, peering through small reading glasses and reading over papers and scriptures, completely submerged in her studies. As she looks up at you, you're shocked by the how vibrant her blue eyes are in contrast to her mousy brown hair, which is styled up in a loose bun. She pushes her glasses up, examining the four of you, and Joey freezes with fear.  
"... Ruth?"  
"... Joseph? Joey Christiansen, is that you?" She’s staring Joey down, and he fidgets uncomfortably with the hem of his shirt.  
"Um. Yes, I-" A delighted grin spreads across the woman's face, and she rushes forward to embrace Joey, who stiffens.  
"My lord, it's Joey Christiansen! It has been forever cousin, where have you been?! It's been too long!"  
Joey pats Ruth’s back awkwardly. "Uh, yeah. It's... good to see you too, Ruth."  
"Well, last time we saw each other we were both what, 22? 23? I believe you had just gotten a tattoo, gosh our folks were so angry about that!" Joey is grimacing uncomfortably, fists clenched at his sides.  
"Yep, I still have that thing." Ruth finally pulls away, laughing.  
"Well a'course you do, course you do! Well now who are these fine folks you got with you?"  
Joey introduces each of you, and Ruth shakes each of your hands passionately, repeating your names back to you as if to memorize them. Neither Joey nor Mary mention anything about being married, and you glance at their hands to find that neither of them are wearing their rings.  
After introductions, she turns back to Joey, grabbing his hands with excitement. You see him jerk slightly, as if to pull away, but he forces his hands to stay, swaying as he steels himself. You can almost see his anxiety forming in physical waves around his body.  
"Well this is just splendid! Why don't you come over to my place and I'll make us some iced tea, and we'll catch up!" Joey nods stiffly, following Ruth out of the church. As you pile into your car to follow Ruth, he grabs your arm, panicked.  
"I can't do this. This is impossible." Mary leans forward to look him in the face, unimpressed.  
"What the hell do you mean? She seems like a nice lady."  
"That's just it, I don't know if that's the demon or not. And I don't even know how I'm supposed to bring it up, she doesn't even know my side of the family ran a cult. I think her family might've even been in it." He’s still holding onto your arm as you drive, his hand shaking violently with panic.  
Mary groans and leans back into her seat, rolling her eyes. "God, you're worse than Robert. At least when you were possessed you were charming. Now look at you." Mary gestures to him, smirking. Joey tries to force out a laugh, but it fades into a whimper. You pat his hand gently.  
"Let us do the talking. If it is the demon, it already knows it's fucked, and if it's just your cousin Ruth then you can pass it off as your friends being weird." You take a deep breath. “We got this.”  
You pull up behind Ruth's car into the driveway of a lovely little cottage, complete with a rose garden and a front porch with rocking chairs. Joey lets out a shaky sigh.  
"Yeah. Okay."  
As you get out of the car, you glance back at Robert. His mouth is set into a grim, determined line as he scans the yard, lingering on certain spots with a critical eye.  
For a good fifteen minutes after going inside, Ruth babbles as she prepares drinks and snacks, and the most you have to do is nod, or occasionally throw in the inquisitive "oh?" To prompt her further. Once she sits down, however, she leans forward, smacking the table jovially.  
"I'm sorry, here I've been talking all about myself! Enough about me, what brings you here, Joey?"  
Joey does not say anything.  
Ruth watches him expectantly.  
Joey continues to not say anything, gripping the arms of his chair.  
Mary leans across the table to Ruth, grabbing her attention, and Joey almost audibly sighs with relief.  
"Actually, Ruth, were here because we needed to talk to you about something."  
Ruth sets her glass down, her brows knitting together.  
"Oh?"  
"Ruth, have you talked to or seen any demons lately?"  
Ruth face instantly whitens, and she draws back from the table a little.  
"P-Pardon me?"  
You jump in, laying your hand on hers apologetically. "Sorry, let us backtrack a little. My friend Mary here can be a little..." you shoot a glare at her, "... abrasive sometimes.  
"We've recently had a run in with a force of evil, if you will. We have reason to believe you might also be in danger." She leans back in, but her expression doesn't change, her eyes still wide and fearful. "We need to make sure first that you haven't had any encounters with this… entity."  
Ruth covers her heart with a hand, letting out a small, relieved chuckle. "Gosh, you sure did give me a fright there. No, fortunately I haven't seen any, er… demons lately, or ever."  
You, Mary and Joey relax immediately, sighing with relief.  
"That's honestly so good to hear, Ruth."  
Robert leans forward, fingers locking together tightly as he looks at Ruth worriedly. "But that's only half of it. We need to make sure the demon doesn't get to you or Joey, and we need to capture it and kill it."  
Ruth glances around at the four of you, confused. "Do y'all... have a plan for that?"  
Mary shakes her head. "Not really, no. We were hoping you'd know something about that how to do that, actually."  
Ruth sighs, apologetically reaching across the table to hold Mary’s hands. "I'm sorry, Mary, but... I don't know anything about killing demons.  
“But I can definitely provide you with a place to stay while you figure this whole mess out." 

Later that evening, you, Mary and Robert decide to head out to the library to see if you can find any material on exorcisms. While the three of you do that, Ruth and Joey stay at the house to catch up, Joey now much more comfortable around her. After finding the library and a couple minutes of rummaging through books, Mary taps you on the shoulder.  
"I'm gonna go wander around town to see if there's anything else that can help us. You nerds keep studying." You and Robert give her mock salutes.  
"Roger that, captain."  
As she waltzes off, Robert calls after her. "Have fun getting drunk without us, traitor."  
Mary flips Robert off and lets the door slam closed behind her, muffling her laughter.  
You and Robert spend another couple of minutes sifting through books, not finding anything outstanding. Just as you’re about to give up, your eye is drawn to a small, bright red book hidden within the the boating section. As you get closer and crouch down to read the spine, you recognize a familiar symbol.  
"Robert, I think you should come see this."  
As he comes up behind you, you hear his breath catch in his throat. He holds his hand up to the spine, confirming your suspicions.  
On the book is the same symbol as Robert’s tattoo. Every detail is exactly the same, right down to the thickness of the lines. He pulls the book out slowly, and you both stand up to read the front cover.  
"Holy shit."  
The front cover, plain red except for the same symbol and the title, reads:  
"Curse of the Christiansens: The Occult's Best Kept Secret."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> were gettin into the SHIT now son  
> im at saccharinepaccadillowrites.tumblr.com if you wanna chat!!!!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mind the tags for suicide, panic attacks and child abuse this chapter

JOEY’S PERSPECTIVE.

The second the door closes behind his three friends, leaving him alone with Ruth, Joey begins to panic.  
He knows logically that he's safe with her, but the fact that she looks so much like his father sets his nerves on edge, his body tensing and readying itself for fight or flight.  
As she begins to babble, talking about god knows what, Joey allows himself to zone out, feeling a sense of familiarity from having done it for a majority of the time he was possessed. He thinks about everything and nothing, his body still coiled tight like a wire.  
His mind drifts, eventually passing over the thought of Mary. They had talked briefly about the state of their marriage, or non-marriage.  
The general consensus was that for all intents and purposes, they were no longer together. What that meant for Joey, however, was still up in the air, as he didn’t want to step on anyone's toes. The night before in the motel had been nice, though, when he had been able to move to Robert’s bed.  
He loves his two male associates so deeply, but he also knows that everything he touches is at risk of harm. He had already tainted their lives too much, by selfishly taking more than was given, taking advantages he had no right to take in moments of weakness. How those two were already seeming to forgive him was beyond him, and he knows that Mary will never forgive him.  
At this point, he doesn’t want forgiveness. He wants punishment.  
An image flashes in his mind of a large hand holding a belt, layered with the memory of his friends asking him about trauma in his childhood. He almost laughs.  
It's many minutes later before he feels a hand shaking his shoulder, and he begrudgingly comes out of his self induced trance to address Ruth, knowing she had said something that he missed.  
"Sorry, what?"  
"I was asking if you're okay, you weren't responding to anything..." Ruth is looking at Joey worriedly, and Joey gently brushes her hand off his shoulder.  
"Yeah, I'm... just..."  
He is suddenly overtaken with the realization that he hadn't talked to anyone about what it was like to be possessed, or about his time leading up to it. Was it normal to dissociate so much? Was it normal to be able to just check out like that?  
Ruth’s expression is comforting, as if she were the ghost of his parents, finally forgiving him.  
"Actually, Ruth, I think I need to talk about some things. About my... experiences, with the demon. And stuff."  
She nods her head, brow furrowing in concern.  
"I thought you seemed upset, honey. How about we go back to the church, I’m sure it will help ease your mind."  
Joey would rather be literally anywhere else than inside a church, but he nods his head and lets Ruth lead him out to her car anyway. There’s no point in refusing. 

The car ride is spent in silence, and Joey lapses back into introspection, managing to calm himself somewhat before they arrive at the church. As they enter, however, the anxiety ramps itself back up, sending Joey into a cold sweat. He feels like the architecture is watching him with disdain and disappointment.  
The two of them sit in the front pews, and Ruth turns to him, concern riddling her face.  
"Now Joey, what is it you need to talk about?"  
He almost doesn't respond, regretting even bringing it up I landing himself in this situation. He knows he needs to talk about this with someone, even just as a form of catharsis, but Ruth is probably the last person he wants to do that with.  
But the three people he loves the most, the three people he trusts the most. They're the ones who were hurt the worst, and any complaints would surely be thrown back at him, accusations and guilt tripping galore. So Ruth it is.  
"Where to start." She waits for Joey to continue expectantly.  
"....When my friend said we had recently encountered the demon... well, I guess it was partially true. For them, at least.  
"You remember my father?"  
Ruth nods, wringing her hands together anxiously, but not interrupting.  
"The demon was passed from him to me. I have... been living as it’s shadow, until recently. Sharing my body with it against my will." Ruth looks appropriately mortified. "The demon, it... made me do really horrible things. Like, I killed people, and hurt people. But..." Joey can feel himself shaking, panic beginning to overtake him, "I don't regret those things as much as what I did to my friends.  
"I usually wasn't really in control, but sometimes the demon would allow me to take charge for a bit. And, well...."  
Joey feels the tears welling up in his eyes, but he doesn't bother trying to hide them. He deserves this humiliation.  
"You don’t need the nasty details. I let myself be selfish. And in doing so I hurt my friends more than I think I've hurt anyone else. I have committed so, so many sins,” he throat closes up as he mentions the word, a bolt of fear shocking him from memories of sermons and the images they brought to his young mind, “A-And it's tearing me apart inside knowing that I just sat back and let it happen. Or even willfully made it happen." He wipes at his face, feeling hot and claustrophobic, desperately repressing the urge to flee. Ruth lays a hand on his knee, and it takes his full willpower to not flinch.  
"Joey, that... that's horrible." He chokes back a sob, letting himself get even more worked up from Ruth’s comfort.  
"And now, and now they're here, trying to help me despite everything I've done, trying to kill the fucking thing for me. I mean, they also have their own agendas, but…  
"It just doesn't feel fair. That they've forgiven me so quickly. I'm still a bad person, hell Ruth,” Joey is close to hysterics, holding down a panicked, terrified giggle, “Earlier today, earlier today? I killed four people. I didn't even feel bad about it, in fact, I felt fucking great about it."  
Ruth stares, eyes widening at the news. Joey keeps going, having completely forgotten that Ruth was even there anymore.  
"And you know what, I don't feel bad about hating my parents either. I know I should love them, and appreciate them, but they did jack shit for me, other than ruining my entire fucking life." He eyes Ruth as his tears stop, giving way to scorn and fury.  
"You wanna know why I got that god awful tattoo? You really wanna know why I was such a rebellious shithead? This-" he rips his sleeve up violently, revealing the tattoo on his arm of an anchor, seething, "This was supposed to ground me, supposed to remind me that this is my own fucking body, and no one else's. Fat load of shit that did for me, huh?" He lets the sleeve drop back down and laughs humorlessly to the empty church.  
"My body. As if. I don't think I've owned this body 100% ever since the demon took it. I don’t think I’ve ever owned this body, period. That's what I get for using up all my free passes to fuck my friends and ruin my relationships.  
"And you know, now that I have it back? Truly all to myself? I don't even think I want it. I can't even do anything right, I'm just rude and antisocial and... And my friends think they can save me still, as if I could ever be saved. I was doomed the moment I was conceived. Funny, right?"  
Joey slumps forward, hugging himself tightly and retreating back inwards to himself, finishing his rant abruptly.  
Ruth rubs a soothing hand on his back, but to Joey, it couldn't be further from comforting.  
"It... does sound like you've sinned greatly. As a minister myself, I... do not know if there is a way you can repent for what you've done."  
Joey feels her words knock all of the air out of him. He is reminded of his father, scolding him and telling him something similar, and suddenly he's 10 years old again, terrified of going to hell, of being tainted and impure. When he speaks, his voice comes out small and scared.  
"... Then what do I do?"  
"That is up for you to decide. But it seems like as long as you're alive, you put your friends, as well as others, in danger."  
Joey is past thinking logically, panic taking the wheel from him. His mind is racing, both too present and not present enough, and all he can think about is how much he wants to escape.  
"How do I escape."  
Ruth watches him crumble with too kind eyes.  
"...There's only one true way to escape, Joseph. I think you know what it is."  
Joey does know what it is, but he knows he wouldn’t ever be able to bring himself to do it because of moral limitations.  
"I.... no, I can't do that."  
Ruth takes Joey’s hands in hers. "I'm giving you permission. It's for the best if you did."  
Joey nods, soaking up her words like a sponge. "It's for the best."  
"They deserve happy lives, don't they? You don't want to hurt your friends anymore, do you?"  
"... No. They deserve better."  
"You love making your friends happy, don't you?"  
Joey smiles fondly through his panic, lips quivering as hot, fat tears drip down his face.  
"Yes. I love them so much."  
"Then do this for them, Joseph. You deserve this for what you've done to them. I'll go get a rope." 

 

MARY’S PERSPECTIVE.

When Mary cautiously swings open the church door, hoping to sneak in and out quickly, looking to just snoop through some papers for clues, she expects to find it empty.  
Instead, she sees her soon to be ex-husband swinging from the rafters, and Ruth holding a small wooden chair away from him, grinning to herself maniacally.  
Mary is upon Ruth in an instant, yanking the chair from her hands and kicking her as hard as she can. Ruth is flung back, sprawling out onto the ground and groaning. Mary curses loudly as she climbs onto the chair to reach the noose, pulling out her knife and reaching up to cut Joey free.  
She begins sawing at the rope, and is almost all of the way through it before a hand wraps around her ankle and pulls her down to the floor, making her chin hit the chair painfully.  
Mary sits up, swiping her knife at Ruth, who skitters back, dodging the attack. Joey gasps for air behind Mary, and one of his feet involuntarily kicks the chair, sending it toppling to the floor and out of his reach. Mary reaches blinding behind her while watching Ruth, grabbing the chair and swinging it as hard as she can at the woman, grunting as she does so.  
It hits Ruth square in the head, and she squawks with surprise as she sits, dizzied. Mary scrambles up, frantically sawing the rest of the rope and letting Joey fall the the floor before turning back around, just in time to see Ruth lunging for her, brandishing a dagger.  
Mary sidesteps the attack, and Ruth rounds on her, breathing heavily through a chaotic grin.  
"You know, you always were a pain in my ass, Mary."  
Ruth lunges for Mary again, this time pushing the both of them into a set of pews, pinning Mary against the hard wooden seats. Mary struggles briefly before bringing her legs up, kicking Ruth in the stomach and sending her flying back. Mary jumps on top of her, holding the knife under her chin, but not cutting. Ruth’s eyes flash between bright blue and an all encompassing black, her skin pale and greyed.  
"You think I'm bad? You're literally the bane of my existence."  
The demon smirks up at her. "Funny, I remember you saying something quite different in bed."  
Mary growls, drawing her knife back to sink into Ruth's shoulder. Ruth hisses, but doesn’t react much more than that, gritting her teeth into a sickening grimace. Mary pulls the knife out and readies for another stab, but Ruth rolls out from under her.  
She grabs Mary’s body and slams her into the floor, effectively knocking the wind out of her. As Mary tries to catch her breathe, Ruth brings her dagger down to slice across Mary’s face, leaving a long cut from one side of Mary’s face to the other. Ruth leans in towards her, uncomfortably close.  
"Why don't you just kill me, Mary? Is it because you know I'll just escape again? Or do you not want an innocent woman's blood on your hands?"  
Mary lets out an aggressive yell as she headbutts Ruth, crawling out from under her as Ruth recovers from her temporary daze. As Ruth tries to get up, Mary grabs her hair, slamming her head into the floor powerfully. Ruth collapses, and Mary crouches over her, knife held hard against the back of her neck. Drops of blood begin to form where the sharp metal is held.  
"Don't move."  
"Or what?" Despite her sarcastic tone, Ruth stays still and motionless. Mary distantly hears Joey struggling for air. She looks up briefly to see him laying on the ground, pawing weakly at the noose still around his neck. His face is turning a cold blue, and with every strangled breath his vocal chords sound more and more torn and ragged.  
Ruth speaks from under Mary smugly.  
"Uh oh, better go help him. Looks like he's fighting a losing battle over there, sweetie."  
Mary grits her teeth and doesn't move.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mind the violence tag  
> also shoutout to jules you're awesome dude!!

YOUR PERSPECTIVE. 

You and Robert scan the book quickly, confirming that it is, indeed, exactly what you think it is. Robert takes it from you, flipping through it and mumbling to himself distractedly, before finally opening to a page with triumph. You peer over his shoulder curiously.  
“How to Exorcise. It’s not a lot, but it’s something.” He looks up at you, eyes sparkling with excitement. “It’s something.”

As the two of you drive back to Ruth’s house, you pass by the church. Robert slows to a crawl, peering into the church parking lot.  
“Is that Ruth’s car?”  
You peer into the parking lot, squinting as you try to get a better look. You can’t really tell if it is or not, but the sight of the church gives you chills that it hadn’t previously.  
Robert slows to a stop in front of it, staring at it’s front doors with unease. You nudge him.  
“Robert?”  
He glances back at you before staring at the church again.  
“Something doesn’t feel right.”  
You nod in agreement, feeling like something is off. The two of you cautiously make your way up the front steps, looking around nervously.  
Robert looks back at you again, before slowly, carefully opening the door.

The first thing you see is Joey, laying on the ground, unmoving and with a noose around his neck.  
Closer to you, Ruth stands over Mary, foot pressed down on her chest and knife in hand. Mary is gasping for air, and her face is completely covered in fresh blood, gorey cuts shining through in the light. Ruth looks up at the two of you, grin falling from her face.  
"Ah, shit. You two."  
She pushes off of Mary with force, driving her heel into Mary’s sternum, and runs over to Joey, grabbing him by the frayed end of the rope. She lifts him up and starts to drag him, heading for the back door, but you're faster.  
You reach her before Robert does, tackling her to the ground with a ferocity you didn’t know you had in you. Anger and rage pump through you, and all you can think about is how much, in this moment, you absolutely despise this woman.  
Her head hits the floor, and you hear her teeth knock satisfyingly together. Before she can do anything to defend herself, you grab her hair and smash her skull into the floor again, bringing with it another satisfying thud.  
She brings her hand up, driving her dagger into your thigh. You let out a pained groan through your teeth, but don't let yourself let go of her hair, continuing to slam it into the ground. She lets go of the dagger to grab your hand, trying to rip it away from her head, wincing as you grab tighter.  
You use the opening to grab the dagger lodged in your leg, yanking it out with another groan. Ruth brings a hand up and hits you, hard, making you reel back. As you try to recover from the hit, she slides out from under you, lunging towards you and pinning you against the ground.  
She reaches for the dagger, but you yank it back before she can grab it and jab it into her arm, piercing it fully before pulling it out again. She doesn't react, ignoring the gaping hole in her arm and quickly reaching up to wrap her hands around your throat, squeezing hard. She leans in as you struggle for air and pull at her hands frantically. Her voice is otherworldly and nauseating.  
"Don't bother, pretty boy. He's probably dead already, I'm sure he'd like some company."  
You glance over at Joey as you try to get Ruth’s hands off of your throat. Robert is kneeling over him, the noose cut off and discarded, and is shaking him, yelling something at him that you can't hear or comprehend through the rushing in your ears. You turn back to Ruth, and as your vision begins to fade, you feel the last of your inhibitions snap. Rage and bitter vengeance bubble up the surface, guiding you as if in a violent, frenzied dance.  
You bring the dagger up, and with a swift movement, you drive it snugly in between her eyes. Her hands immediately let go of your throat, her body going stiff as her eyes roll into the back of her head. You twist the knife, pulling it out and letting the dagger drop to your side unceremoniously.  
There is a pregnant pause of stillness, blood gushing down from the gore in the center of her forehead as you stare, waiting. She falls forward, collapsing onto your face and suffocating you with her weight. You hurriedly push her off and scramble away, kicking her lifeless body away from you as you do so.  
As the world around you comes rushing back to you, you hear hoarse coughing. Turning, you see Joey, alive and breathing, Robert holding him up. You look back at Ruth's body, feeling a sense of dread wash over you as realize the repercussions of your actions.  
You let it get away. Again.  
A hand falls on your shoulder, and you whirl around, flinching and tensing your muscles, ready for an attack.  
Instead you find Mary. There are multiple cuts along her face, still drizzling blood, and you feel your stomach turn at the sight. She searches your eyes, worry washing over her face.  
"You okay?"  
You look back at Ruth, her blood slowly drying onto her face and the floor.  
"I... killed her." Mary gazes at the body too, face devoid of emotion.  
"You did what you had to do. We won't let it get away next time."  
You nod numbly, looking back over at Joey and Robert. Joey has his face buried into Robert’s chest, his body shaking and heaving with silent sobs and gasps for air. Robert looks close to tears as well, clutching onto Joey with a mix of delicacy and desperation.  
Mary stands up, offering you a hand. You take it, stumbling as your injured leg gives out under you, but she catches you and helps you limp over to them. You tentatively sit next to Joey, reaching out a hand to hold his shoulder. He lifts up a hand of his own to grab yours, rubbing his fingers over it shakily.  
Hesitantly, you lean against him, rubbing your free hand up and down his back, and he sobs again.  
Mary slowly sits down by his legs, resting a hand on his knee, distant yet comforting. She is the first one to speak.  
"Joey... what happened?"  
He doesn't take his face out of Robert’s shirt, squeezing onto your hand and around Robert’s waist tightly.  
"I don't wanna talk about it."  
Robert smooths back Joey’s hair, shooting you and Mary concerned glances. "Joey, we need to-"  
"No!" Joey begins to tremble, pressing his face further into Robert’s chest, "No, nope and nuh-uh. I'm not talking about it. I already know I'm an idiot, okay?"  
"What are you talking about?"  
"I'm weak and I'm stupid. I'm never going to escape, I thought..." Joey doesn't finish, and as the weight of his words begin to sink in, tears start to fall down Robert’s face. He continues to brush Joey’s hair with his fingers, tucking loose strands behind his ears.  
"Joey, I..." Robert looks up at you, eyes searching for guidance.  
All you feel is numbness. You look back over at Ruth's body, still not fully believing that you just killed someone.  
You look back down at Joey, who, a few minutes ago, you were sure was dead. You know you should feel happiness, or relief, or sympathy. But you don't feel anything, taking in the world at grayscale, at a single, monotonous note.  
You know you want Joey and Robert to stop crying.  
"I killed her, you know."  
Joey and Robert both freeze, both turning to look at you. You note how red Joey’s eyes are, how burned and raw the ring around his neck is. The redness stands out starkly to you.  
"It was stupid of me, and I wasn't thinking, and the demon got away again. But. I killed her. For you."  
Robert looks slightly horrified, glancing around and noticing Ruth's body for the first time. His lip curls in disgust at the corpse, but he doesn’t react much more than subdued offense.  
Joey, instead of looking at Ruth, stares up at you. Adoration sparkles in his eyes, and as you numbly stare back, a smile spreads across his face, and he lets out a short, breathless laugh.  
"For... me?"  
Your numbness begins to fade away to pride, a spark of joy lighting up in you at Joey’s delight. You nod, and deep satisfaction flows through you as Joey lets out another amazed giggle. He pulls you in for a hug, and you embrace him tightly, holding back a grin.  
You hear Robert let out a resigned sigh. "God, you guys are fucked up."  
Joey nuzzles his face into your neck, and you can feel his smile pressed against your skin. You press your face into Joey’s hair happily.  
"You love it."  
The adrenaline from the fight is still coursing through your veins, giving you a pleasant high. When Robert glances at you, you feel a surge of delight, and you finally let a smile slip through. Robert chuckles, pulling back just enough to gaze at the two of you lovingly.  
"...Maybe I do." 

It's dark when you leave, after having done your best to clear the evidence and smuggle Ruth's body back to your car without getting spotted. Joey and Robert drive Ruth's car back to her house, you and Mary following close behind with the body.  
You leave the body in her bath tub, hoping that it will give you enough time to get far enough away if her neighbors get suspicious. You vacate the premises quickly. The smell of blood and decay doesn't leave you.  
Running low on money, the four of you agree the best plan of action is to lay low for a while, and wait for the demon to show itself again. You manage to find an abandoned building just on the outskirts of town, graffiti covering the boarded windows and walls. It’s far enough away and deserted enough that nobody will come snooping around, but close enough for you to get back into town quickly. Robert is the first to scout it out, checking for other squatters, but you find the inside completely empty.  
You hide the car behind the house and under a large tarp, and you wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mary: seriously?? right in front of my salad??  
> also sorry this one is so short the next one should be longer!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY THIS WAS A LITTLE MORE STEAMY THAN I INTENDED NOTHING EXPLICIT BUT THERES SOME MAKIN OUT

It's your third night of squatting, and the four of you are looking more than worse for wear. Between lack of sleep, no running water, stress, and poorly attended injuries, you wouldn’t blame someone for mistaking you for demons yourselves.  
You had done a store run exactly twice, both in the middle of the night and to small convenience stores, picking up the bare minimum. Water bottles, soup, meat, new shirts, first aid.   
On this second run, Robert had come with you, and you had somehow brought back a large bottle of whiskey. You want to blame Robert, but you had been to one to grab it and slip it onto the counter along with the rest of the goods. You would never admit to it, though.  
When you open the door, the two of you find Mary and Joey sitting on the floor, talking. They pause and look up as you enter, Mary’s face lighting excitedly up as she spots the bottle of booze in Robert’s hand.  
“Aw hell yes.” You and Robert sit down with them, forming a small circle on the floor. Mary nudges Robert with her foot. “So, what’s the occasion?”   
Robert carefully unscrews the lid of the bottle, biting his lip in thought.   
“Well, if I’m gonna be dying,”   
You give him a light kick and a sour look. “...Hypothetically, that is, I wanna get my drink on one last time.” He smirks as he hands the bottle over to Mary. “Ladies first.”  
“Gladly.” She takes a large chug, wiping her mouth with her sleeve and sighing loudly. “God, that really does hit the spot.”  
Robert takes the bottle from her, chuckling. “Leave some for the rest of us, ya hog.”   
The swig he takes is almost bigger than Mary’s.  
He hands it off to you. You take a much smaller sip, wincing as it burns down your throat, and you hand it off to Joey. Mary leans in towards you and Robert, lacing her fingers under her chin. “So, any good gossip from town?”  
You lean back, letting yourself relax a little and feeling the burn of the whiskey melt into a pleasant heat in your throat. “Nah, but that crazy lady who smells like cat pee was there again. I think one of her eyes just follows you everywhere, it’s kinda creepy.”  
Joey passes the bottle over to Mary again. “Like cryptid kinda creepy, or old lady kinda creepy?”  
“Isn’t it the same thing?”   
Mary passes the bottle back to Robert again, who takes a much smaller sip this time. He examines the bottle for a beat, before fixing the three of you with a hard stare. “If you ask me, it’s the cashier we gotta be worried about. Sure, he seemed nice, but did you see the way his neck twisted around? Dude had loads of supernatural energy.”   
You smirk, remembering the cashier. It could’ve been because you were on edge, but he did seem to not be completely human.   
Then again, nobody seemed to be human anymore, except for the four of you.   
“Anyway, what about back here? Anything fun happen while we were gone?”  
Mary and Joey give each other an uncomfortable look, and Joey clears his throat nervously. “Well…”  
“We’re getting a divorce.” The way Mary says it is clipped and matter-of-fact, with no emotional attachment to the words.  
You and Robert try to look surprised, and Robert sits up a little straighter, suddenly unsure of himself. “Oh, well, that’s uh…” He motions unintelligibly with his hands. “That sure is something.”   
You nod, equally as lost on how to react. “...That’s a thing, all right.”   
Mary and Joey stare at you, blankly and judgmentally. You feel yourself beginning to panic slightly, worried that you had said the wrong thing.   
“I mean, that’s uh… I’m sorry, that that’s happening.”   
You can tell Robert is struggling just as much as you are. “Yeah, that must be rough. For you guys.”   
Neither of them say anything, still staring at the two of you. You feel like you are literally dying.   
Robert clears his throat, scooting closer to you. “Are we… should we… go?”   
There’s another beat of silence as Joey and Mary stare at you, before they look at each other and burst out into laughter. You and Robert stare confusedly as they try to calm themselves. Mary leans back, still giggling.   
“God, you guys are idiots.” You and Robert stare at her, still confused, and she shakes her head, sighing. “It’s not a bad thing, morons.”  
You let out a sigh of relief, hand flying up to your chest to calm yourself. “God, you guys are assholes.” Robert nods his head solemnly.   
“Why, though? Like, why now?”  
Mary taps her fingers on her knee, pursing her lips. “We just…” She looks over at Joey again, shrugging.   
He crosses his legs, tapping his chin thoughtfully before filling in for her. “Not each other’s type, really.”   
Mary snaps and shoots him a finger gun. “Bingo.   
“And also, you aren’t really the guy I married in the first place. No offense.” She holds a hand up, pausing him. “Wait, actually, yes offense.”   
Joey crosses his arms, smirking. “And why’s that?”   
“‘Cuz. You suck.” Joey sticks his tongue out at her, blowing a very loud raspberry before bringing the bottle you’d been passing around up to his lips.   
The four of you continue to talk, and before long the bottle is empty. A pleasant buzz lights up your body, not enough to get you fully drunk, but enough to let you know your filter is off duty for the rest of the night.   
Robert and Joey are sitting much closer to you than they were at the beginning of the night, their knees brushing lightly against yours, their hands resting close to your hips.  
You are more than fine with this.   
Mary get’s up on, stretching with a grunt. “I’ll be right back, fellas. Gotta powder my nose. Or whatever it is people say these days.” The three of you wave as she exits.  
Robert reaches up to toy with the hem of your sleeve absentmindedly, smiling to himself. “So, what do you guys think we’ll do if we get outta this alive?” You roll your eyes at him.  
“I told you, it’s a when, not an if. And the first thing I do is take a real shower.”   
Joey giggles on your other side. “Well of course, that’s outta the question. But what are we gonna do in the long run?”  
You turn to grin back at him, finding his face very close to your own. “Oh, so I’m the expert now?”  
Joey leans in closer, his smile widening, and you feel Robert’s lips hover against your neck.   
“Obviously.” Robert starts to plant kisses along your neck and jaw, and your heart flutters in your chest. Joey doesn’t take his eyes off of you, still smiling as he reaches up to run a hand through your hair.   
Any words that were previously in your head or in your mouth decide to leave, and you struggle to respond to the question as the two of them distract you.  
“W-well… we could… check out some more states… maybe head down to Mexico…” Robert nibbles at a particularly sensitive area of skin, derailing your train of thought as you try to keep it together. A small, satisfied sigh escapes your lips, And Joey chuckles before leaning in to seal his lips against yours.   
The kiss is drunken, sloppy, and and perfect. His lips are soft and warm against your own, coupling well with the buzz the whiskey had given you.   
He pulls away, only for Robert to take his place. His kiss is a little more assertive, a little more fiery, but still loving and sweet. You melt into it just as much as you did the first. He eventually pulls away too, both of them pressing kisses to your neck. You can feel your face heating up with a blush, becoming pleasantly dizzy.   
“You guys… are assholes.” They both pull away slightly, chucking, just as Mary saunters back in. She raises an eyebrow at the three of you. If you thought your face couldn’t get any more red before, you are sure you’re at your physical limit now.   
“I’m gone for what, three minutes?” She’s smirking at you as she sits back down, smoothing out her skirt. You find yourself at a loss for words again, opening and closing your mouth and scouring your mind for excuses.  
Robert leans on your shoulder, his face still intimately close to yours. “What? We were just talking about what we were gonna do once we get outta here.”  
The three of you grin at her, and she drums her nails on the floor thoughtfully.  
“The first thing we do? I’m getting hammered, and the three of you are getting a fuckin’ room.”   
You laugh as Robert and Joey kiss your cheeks.

It's 11 p.m. of the fourth night when you hear the knock on the door. The four of you had been poring over the book, rereading notes and finalizing plans. You all freeze at the sound, looking at each other.   
The stagnancy and boredom of the past few days makes the adrenaline much more painful than it should, your body not used to the endorphins. It feels a lot like moving a limb that has fallen asleep. There is another knock, and then a child's voice calling out.   
"Hello? Please help me."   
Cautiously, Robert gets up, knife in hand, and goes to the door, peering through the blinds of the window. Mary’s voice is rough with disuse.   
"If it doesn't have black eyes, tell it to scram."   
You all watch with baited breath as Robert slowly cracks open the door.   
"Sorry kid, we-"  
The door is kicked in with powerful force, slamming into Robert’s face. You scramble up, yelling, and a small boy comes through the door.   
Blonde hair, blue eyes. Elegant features.   
He pulls out a kitchen knife, and drives it into Robert’s chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh noooo  
> as always feel free to come talk to me on tumblr saccharinepeccadillowrites.tumblr.com


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dont worry about that major character death tag

Robert falls to the floor silently, as the child watches with glee. Mary is the first to react, scrambling to her feet.  
"Shit, it's him!" You and Mary begin to rush him, but, as he turns to you, you falter.   
You would never hurt a child, and looking over at Mary, you realize she's coming to the same horrifying realization. The child turns to you, a grin on his face, and you feel your stomach twist.  
"Didn't realize Ruth might've had kids, hmm?"   
The child leans down over Robert, who, you note, is thankfully still alive and conscious. His eyes are glazed over, and he watches numbly as the knife is ripped violently from his chest. Robert stares at the growing spot of red on his shirt, transfixed.  
The boy turns back to you and spreads his arms out, as if to display himself.   
"Look just like a certain someone, don't I? It’s a good design.   
“Unfortunately, it's technically not pure Christiansen blood. That, however," he points towards Joey, who is still frozen on the floor, "Is. I'll be having my vessel back now."   
The boy is upon Joey in an instant, punching him in the face with a small fist and surprising force, throwing him backwards. You and Mary rush him again, and you snarl in frustration.   
As Joey pushes him off in a panic, the boy rolls away, sprinting towards the kitchen. You lunge for him, trying to grab him. As kids are, however, he slips through your hands, giggling as he rounds the corner and disappears from your sight. You and Mary sprint after him into the kitchen, only to find it deserted, and Joey follows you in seconds later, looking around frantically.   
"Where the fuck did he go?"   
Neither of you answer him, Mary running off into a separate part of the house. You start to search the kitchen, checking in cupboards and under the sink. Joey begins frantically searching the kitchen as well, cursing under his breath.  
You hear a loud thud from behind you, and turn to see the boy standing on top of a counter, frying pan in hand. Joey stands in front of him, reeling from the hit to his head. The demon boy draws the pan back and hits Joey again, and you watch in horror as he falls to the floor, unconscious.   
You rush forward, growling as you try to grab the child again, but he hits you as well, the pan clanging painfully against your skull. You fall backwards, dizzy, your vision blurred, and for what feels like a couple seconds you can’t see.   
When you shake the dizzy spell, the child is leaning over the unconscious Joey, a dark energy flowing from the child to him. The act is macabre, and despite no actual gore being involved, it turns your stomach as if it were. As the energy fades, Joey opens his eyes.   
You sit, stunned and horrified, as Joey stands up, lifting the child by the scruff of the neck. The boy seems dazed, and as he begins to struggle and scream, Joey grins. He lifts his other hand up, and with a quick flick of his wrists, the child’s neck snaps.   
Joey turns to look at you, still grinning, and throws the boy across the room, his body sickly hitting the wall before falling to the floor. You feel bile rise up in your throat, but you push it back down, swallowing as you try to stand up on shaky legs.   
"Joey?"   
He walks forward, bringing his foot up to kick your chin. You’re thrown backwards, the back of your head hitting the cabinets behind you.   
"Joey’s gone, friend.” He crouches down, grabbing your hair and lifting you up to his face. Your eyes water as his nose touches yours. “Now it's just me."   
He slams your head against the cabinets before standing back up. He brings his foot up to kick you again, but you grab his leg, yanking it out from under him and making him fall backwards. He crashes into the other side of the kitchen, letting out a grunt as his back is bruised.   
You scramble out of the kitchen, fleeing as Joseph runs after you. You call for Mary, hearing her call back from the other end of the house.   
Joseph's fingers brush the back of your shirt as you make a sharp turn, running down the hall towards Mary’s voice. You slip out of his grasp, and he curses behind you, giving you a few seconds as he struggles with the corner.   
Heart hammering in your chest, you take another sharp turn into the master bedroom, letting yourself slam into the wall opposite the door in lieu of slowing down. Joseph is close behind you, slowing as he stalks into the room. You’re reminded of a cat, stalking it’s prey before pouncing, and you press your back up against the wall, digging your fingers into the crumbling wallpaper. His eyes glint in the darkened room, primal fear coursing through you.  
"You're cornered now, my friend. Looks like you’ll be the first to go."   
You hold your ground, staring him dead in the eyes, breath heaving in your chest. You watch just over his shoulder, nerves on edge as you wait impatiently. He leers at you, chuckling deep in his throat. It is the worst sound you’ve ever heard.  
The lights are flicked on and the door slams behind him, and he whirls around, growling in frustration.   
Mary stands in front of the closed door, the book the three of you had been poring over for the past couple of days in her hand, and a tired, victorious smile on her face. She nods at you, and you nod back, triumph washing like relief over you.   
Joseph spots the book in her hand, his color going pale and eyes going wide.  
"What the fuck? How did you-"   
He looks down, realization dawning on his face, and he sucks in a panicked breath as he examines the floor.   
An intricate shape surrounds him, symbols that you, Robert and Mary had painstakingly copied from the book littering the circular prison. He looks back up at Mary, fury emanating from him.   
"No, you can't do this."   
Mary, the scars on her face still inflamed and angry, looks more exhausted and terrifying than you've ever seen her. The light hits her hair in a ring, halo glowing along with the infected gore of her face, beautiful and disgusting all at once.  
"I can. And I will."   
"You can't. I know you can't." He turns to you, his voice becoming soft and scared, immediately mimicking Joey’s mannerisms. It’s a little too on point, and tears start to well in his eyes.   
"Please, he doesn't want this. You don't want it either, do you?"   
It almost sways you. But the look in his eyes reminds you of an earlier discussion the four of you had, just hours prior. 

EARLIER

You, Mary, and Robert had sat Joey down, pulling out the book and showing it to him. He had looked up at the three of you, his face tired. He still looked so young.  
"What's this?"   
Mary and Robert had looked over at you, pleading, and you had taken it upon yourself to lead the discussion.   
"We found a way to exorcise your demon."   
Joey’s face lights up, and he grabs you as he smiles, excited and joyous.   
"Really? We can really kill him? That's... that's amazing!"   
You can’t find it in yourself to return his smile. Deep sadness roots itself in your heart and spreads through your veins like a sickness.   
"There's a catch."   
His face falls, and you carefully remove his hands from your shoulders, holding them gently.   
You never get to hold his hands enough, you realize. You don’t think you would ever be able to get enough of holding his hands.   
You can't get yourself to continue, choking up, and Mary steps in for you.   
"It's not a 100% guaranteed thing, but... Joey, if we do this, you… Might not make it."   
He doesn't react, staring at your hands while in thought.   
Robert tentatively reaches out for him, but pulls his hand away before reaching him, bringing it up in a fist to his mouth instead. His voice is strained, holding back tears and fear.  
"We could keep running, you know. We wouldn't be able to settle, and we'd have to keep killing the vessels every time they find us, but it would give us more time. Or…  
"We could do this. It isn't for sure that you would die, but dammit Joey, it's close. It’s too close."   
You feel your eyes starting to well up. Joey sighs, rubbing your hands with his thumbs, barely hesitating before answering.  
"I'll do it."   
The three of you give each other worried looks. "Are you sure? We could just-"   
"I know what I want." He finally looks up, determined. "I love you guys, and if I can save you, if I can save everyone by doing this, then I'd be more than happy to die for you."   
It’s a stark contrast to the first time you met the real Joey. Back in the car, bleeding out in your lap, begging to never see the demon again.   
He’s smiling at you now, holding your hands with a firm, reassuring grip, eyes still bright despite his tiredness.  
You may have only known him for a couple days, but the man in front of you has become your entire world. You don’t know if you can lose him. But you also don’t know if you’re cruel enough to take this away from him.  
You're fully crying now, as are Mary and Robert. Mary rubs at her face, laughing a little.   
"God, of course you have to be so goddamn fucking heroic." Joey chuckles at that, pulling a hand away and opening his arms to them, an invitation. All three of you lunge forward, embracing him tightly.   
He hugs back, letting out a short huff of laughter.  
"Let’s kill a fucking demon." 

PRESENT

The way the demon is acting now, you aren't sure he even knows that Joey was in on it. It comes as a small relief to you, but it’s a relief nonetheless. You’re sure Joey is grateful for that, too.  
Mary ignores Joseph’s grovelling, looking straight at you.   
"Ready?"   
You nod, and she begins reading from the book, her butchered Latin coming out choppy, yet understandable.   
Joseph, horror and panic etched into his face, rushes over towards Mary and teeters at the edge of the marking on the floor. His hands come together in prayer (you find it ironic and disgusting), pleading with her.   
"Mary, I love you, please don't do this, I can change-"   
She kicks the center of his chest, never breaking from the stream of words, and Joseph falls backwards. He looks back at you, tears streaming down his face, his voice cracking emotionally. It’s painful to listen to and to see, your heart clenching in pain and sympathy.  
"Please. Make her stop."   
You hold his gaze, clenching your jaw tightly, so hard that it hurts. He's starting to look less like Joseph and more like Joey, and though it's eating away at your resolve, you find yourself still holding strong.   
He says your name, crawling towards you pitifully, and your heart feels as if it screams. You bite the inside of your cheek, but still keep your eyes focused on him, unable to tear them away. He reaches out to you, begging you to help him, and your fingers dig deeper into the wall behind you.  
He stops crying, panic diffusing into apathetic disappointment. He suddenly regards you cooly, all turmoil gone.  
"I can make you an offer."   
You don't respond, and Mary continues her chant. She’s beginning to find a rhythm, becoming more sure in her words.   
"I could give you the life you've always wanted and more. I could make all of your dreams come true.   
“Tell me, what are your dreams?"   
The answer is on the tip of your tongue, teetering on your lips, but you don't dare to respond. You begin to taste blood in your mouth, metallic as the rusted nails in the floorboards.   
He looks up at you again, a soft smile gracing his features.   
"I love you."  
You choke back a sob, tightening your hands into fists and stepping further backwards, pressing your back painfully into the wall.   
His eyes are so tired, and their blue is so happy and welcoming. You think about his laugh, how soft his hands were, how soft his lips were. You think about the walk you had with him.   
What would Joey think of you now?  
"I love you so much."  
Joey, you decide, would’ve killed this motherfucker in an instant.   
You’re distantly aware of the fat tears rolling down your face, choosing to only focus on Mary’s words, and on the edge of the circle. After a pause, his face hardens, becoming irate.   
"You know what? I see that you've made up your minds. That's great for you. I'll let Joey tell you how he feels for the last couple minutes of this horseshit."   
As you watch him, his eyes roll into the back of his head momentarily, and he falls to the ground. There's a blessed pause of silence and stillness.   
His mouth opens wide and lets out a shrill, bloodcurdling scream. His body spasms violently, limbs banging into the floor with vigor. You flinch as you watch him, your hands flying up to your mouth as you try to hold yourself back.   
Teeth gnashing, he tries to sit up, still wailing. He’s tearing at his hair, ripping chunks out and clenching them in his fists, and as he spasms again you see that his eyes are completely white, red veins peeking out on the bottom.  
The only respite from the screams are ragged, throat tearing gasps for air, which are not much better. He falls back onto his back, sobbing as he struggles between his need for air and his agony. You hear Mary falter, and look up to see her pause, eyes boring into the horrendous sight within the circle. You finally allow yourself to speak, yelling over the screams to Mary.   
"Keep going!"   
Mary looks up at you, then back to Joey, biting her lip. You yell again, panic coursing through you as you realize what’s happening.  
"Mary! Ignore it!"   
She begins to close the book, and you begin to hurry over to her, clinging to the wall to avoid smudging the markings. Cursing to yourself, you ready yourself to lock her out of the room, racking your brain to remember where she left off in the chant. Joey’s screams had lessened, giving him enough time to get a full lungful of air before wailing desperately. Mary crouches down, staring at the circle and slowly reaching a hand out.  
Before you can reach her, the door slams open.   
Startled, you both pause, looking up to find Robert standing in the doorway. Blood drenches his shirt, and he stumbles in, clutching his chest. He leans on the doorway, struggling for breath and letting out weak coughs.  
He surveys the scene in front of him, panting heavily and wincing as Joey let’s out an especially loud scream. You and Mary don't move, and Robert looks up to regard the both of you. He stumbles towards Mary, who stands up before he falls onto her for support, gripping her shoulder. His voice is wet and rattling, as if there is liquid caught in his throat.  
"Keep reading."   
Shakily, she brings the book back up and continues to recite as she holds Robert up. You finish making your way to her and rest your hand on her other shoulder, watching Joey writhe on the floor.   
Slowly, his screams become weaker, and he stops moving, until he is completely still and silent.   
Next to you, Mary shakes as she finishes with the last words, and looks up from the book to watch Joey. 

There is no big spectacle or fanfare, and nothing visibly happens. The feeling is much more similar to having a splinter pulled out, like a pain you didn't realize you had suddenly being relieved. It’s an inherent knowing more than proof with evidence: The demon known as Joseph is dead.  
The three of you watch with baited breath, waiting for a sign of life from the body inside the symbol. But the longer you wait, the more it doesn't move. You hear Robert stifle a sob, and Mary buries her face into your shoulder. You find that you can’t look away.

You try to tell yourself that you didn't know him for that long, that he was a jerk, that this is what he wanted. Joey, who wanted to run away from his problems, who ruined your lives, and killed himself before making it up to you.   
Except you knew that wasn't it, not really. He was also Joey, who's hands were soft and his eyes softer.   
Joey, who got a tattoo the first second he could, just go spite the cult he had been living under his entire life.   
Joey, who was shy, and withdrawn, but who had a sharp wit and a sharper sense of humor, one that made him meld into your trio perfectly, like a missing puzzle piece that completed the picture.   
He was family, and a friend, and the love of your lives, even if it was only less than a week ago that you really, truly met him.   
He was Joey, who's ultimate penance, his overarching apology, was a selfless self sacrifice to save the ones he loved.   
He was Joey, who loved a little too deeply, no matter the cost.   
You screw your eyes shut tightly as the tears stream out, wild and fast. Robert’s hand frantically searches for your own, and you take it with just as much desperation, squeezing tightly, trying to take in as much of his presence as you can, trying to find some relief in the fact that you still had Robert and Mary. None of you are looking at the body now, afraid to face the truth.  
He was Joey, and now he's gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh did i say dont worry i meant worry a lot   
> also the next chapter is probably gonna be the last but, dont lose hope yet, goods things may or may not happen


	11. Chapter 11

Much like the beginning of this hellish escapade you found yourselves on, the only sign of life is a cough.  
It’s small, almost too small to be heard. But it is heard, by all three of you, and you all look up in shock as Joey’s body begins to slowly move again. He takes a ragged breath, and then another, and weakly tries to sit up, body shaking with strain and shock.  
You aren't sure if it's real, at first.  
"Joey?"  
He slowly turns his head to look up at you, his eyes distant and foggy, and he heaves in another rattling breath. Hiss voice is barely intelligible, wheezy and strung out from overuse.  
"... Did we do it?"  
You’re the first one to move, quickly stepping forward and falling to your knees in front of Joey, scooping him up into your arms fiercely and possessively. Mary and Robert aren't far behind. Robert kneels down on the other side of him, fresh tears in his eyes as he easily fits himself against Joey, sinking his face into Joey’s hair.  
You aren’t sure if the sound you make is a laugh or a sob, but you think that whatever it is, it’s fitting.  
Robert takes Joey’s face in one hand, still holding his chest with the other, gazing into his eyes with wonder and adoration. Joey looks back at him, face still distant and dazed, but smiling faintly back at him. He glances over at you, furrowing his brows together at your upset expression.  
“What?”  
You and Robert don’t answer, both leaning forward to pepper him with kisses, on his head, his face, his neck, anywhere you can reach. You hear him laugh breathlessly, and your heart sings at the sound, such a different sound than the demons vulgar cackle. This laugh sings of happiness, of hope, of love and unrestrained enthusiasm.  
"Am i in heaven?"  
Mary, who had found her way into your chaotic dogpile and now has her arms wrapped tightly around Joey’s torso, laughs too, tears streaking down her face, a mix of sorrow and joy.  
"Nah buddy, you're stuck with us for the long haul, now."  
Joey smiles, and you and Robert both press a kiss into the corners of his mouth at the same time. As you pull away, he leans back slightly to admire both of you, tired eyes crinkling at the edges with joy and love.  
"Well, sounds like heaven to me."  
You and Robert giggle happily, and you press another kiss into Joey’s mouth, not caring about the tears that smudge from your face to his.  
Robert’s chuckle turns into a cough and a groan of pain halfway through, and he pauses to suck in another rattling breath. Mary shoots him a worried glare.  
"We’re getting both of you to the hospital."  
Both of them begin to protest, but you cut them off before they can make any official complaints.  
"Nope, no buts. I'm not going to let our collective stubbornness literally kill both of you."  
Robert glares at you. “Well, I’m fine.”  
Joey smacks his arm lightly, chastising. “Idiot, no you aren’t. You’re bleeding all over the goddamn place.”  
“Oh, as if you’re doing so much better.”  
“I’m not bleeding, that’s a start.”  
Robert sucks in another pained breath, exasperated at Joey’s antics. “You weren’t breathing, moron. I bet you can’t even stand up.”  
Joey stares him down, gaze hard and judging. “Can you?”  
Robert glares at him for a long pause before bringing up a silent middle finger, glistening with fresh blood. Joey smacks it away to pull him in for another kiss. 

Once you and Mary convince them to get to a hospital, you pack up into the car quickly. Despite your rush, you make sure to leave nothing behind, much like the house in Virginia.  
The only thing you leave, the only thing you all silently refuse to bring along or to bother hiding, is the child’s lifeless body in the kitchen, already beginning to buzz with flies in the Georgian summer heat.  
As you’re helping Joey out to the car, he spots him, freezing in his tracks and staring. You stop next to him, holding him up with his arm over your shoulder, and you shudder as you take in the gruesome sight.  
“He looks just like I did.”  
The more you look at the body, the queasier you feel, but Joey refuses to budge, transfixed. He laughs a little, a sad sound that hurts your veins with sympathy.  
“Kind of a funny metaphor, huh? I bet a couple days ago, he was happy and carefree.  
“Just a fucking kid.”  
You feel a punch of guilt stab your stomach, knowing that Joey sees himself in the child, sees his children in the child.  
A disgusting, rotting, amoral metaphor for his lost childhood, and his lost children. It now represents Joey, always doomed to lose innocence too quickly, himself once just a kid, his children, only kids.  
The life he could have had, his innocence, his childhood, his family, his children, all slowly rotting in the dusty heat of an abandoned farmhouse, in middle of nowhere. Left to be forgotten with time, for the maggots to find and feast on, relishing in his pain.  
The child’s neck hangs limply at a morbid angle, aligning with the morbidity of Joey’s relentless ruinage.  
The world is suddenly too still, too fragile, and you feel like reality could shatter in the silence.  
Joey turns to you finally, sighing.  
“It was always so sweet. But the sweetness can never last, can it?” Somehow, you understand with upsetting clarity every connotation his sentiment holds, melancholy and bitter. The demon, his adolescence, his fatherhood. All so sweet, becoming rotten cavities and lost teeth. So many children were lost as casualties in the war of Joey’s existence, starting with Joey himself and multiplying from there. So many hopeful blue eyes, never to be opened again.  
As you watch Joey’s face, you realize one of his eyes is slightly greyed. Maybe, in some twisted way, that’s what saved him in the end. It’s a beautiful grey, the grey of a stormy, powerful sea. A sea that says: not today. You will not best me today.  
You hope that the love you and Robert hold for him is a flavor he can afford to taste eternally. You hope that it’s enough, enough to cleanse his palate to let allow him taste again, enough for him to trust kindness and not mistake it for wickedness someday.  
His lips are beginning to tremble, and you kiss them quickly to calm them, before hurrying him out of the house and away from his demons. 

After checking both of them in and effectively dodging prying questions from staff, brushing it vaguely off as a party that got out of hand, you and Mary wait in the lounge area. You lean over to her, keeping your voice down to a conspiring whisper despite the room being empty.  
"You were pretty badass back there, you know."  
She smiles, relaxing a little into her seat.  
"That's what I'm here for, kiddo. Kickin' ass and takin' names."  
You smile back at her, finding yourself relaxing as well. You may not love Mary the same way you love Joey and Robert, but you love her all the same.  
"I mean it, Mary. I don't know if I would've been able to do something like that."  
Her face falls a little, guilty. "...I almost wasn't able to."  
You pat her leg gently, reassuringly, and she leans against you. "I know. But you still did it."  
"We. We still did it."  
The two of you sit in silence for a bit, leaning against each other, finding comfort in each other's presence. After the whirlwind of chaos, the anxiety and tension of the past couple days, and even in the still present anxiety of Robert and Joey’s states, you find yourself calming down. You find safety and shelter next to Mary, and you know she finds the same next to you.  
You let your mind wander, closing your eyes to rest them. You recall being afraid of Mary when you first met her, worried about impressing her, about not getting on her bad side. But now, after the events of the past few days, you don't know if there's many other people you’d feel as safe and comfortable around as you do around her.  
You would, quite literally, give your life for her, and she had proven time and time again that she would do the same for you. You all would for each other.  
You feel her hand slip into yours, and you squeeze it sleepily, leaning further into her as she does the same. Her voice is tired, but still strained with anxiety. You briefly worry about it becoming a permanent thing for all of you, haunted by the trauma of the demon.  
“Those two better not die in there. If they’re selfish enough to leave you now after all of this, I’ll go down to hell to personally kick their fucking asses myself.”  
You chuckle and nod, not opening your eyes. A stray thought crosses your head, and it’s out of your mouth before you can stop it.  
“Are you really okay with Robert and I taking Joey from you?”  
Mary doesn’t respond at first, and you open an eye to peek at her. Her face is distant, thoughtful.  
“It’s not really taking him from me at this point, ya know. I’ve come to realize that it’s what’s best for all of us. Not in a sad way, but in a happy way, where we all get what we want and need.  
“I still love Joey, but it’s not the way I used to love him. Or rather, the way I thought I loved him. It’s the way I love you, and Robert. And there’s nothing better than seeing my boys happy, so why would I try to take that away from you?”  
Despite yourself, you start to feel tears welling up in your eyes, and you lean your head onto her shoulder.  
“I love you, Mary. You’re the fucking best, you know that? You’re the best friend a guy could ask for.”  
“Don’t be such a cry baby.” Her eyes are just as wet as yours.  
You’re still holding hands when you slip into an exhausted dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY SO THIS STILL ISNT THE LAST CHAPTER OOPS I GOT CARRIED AWAY AGAIN WITH EXPOSITION, THE NEXT ONES GONNA BE THE LAST ONE THOUGH (i just dont wanna leave this story tbh ive grown way too attached to it i gotta let go)  
> as always, saccharinepeccadillowrites.tumblr.com be there or be square nerds


	12. Chapter 12

You awake from your nap to find two things. The first is Robert, mirroring Mary on your other side, fast asleep. You vaguely remember waking briefly to his arrival, opening your arm tiredly to wrap around him as he leaned against you before dozing back off.  
The second thing you find is detective Saul Graves, sitting across from you and reading a magazine with disinterest. Upon spotting him, you reflexively pull Robert closer to you and reinforce your hold on Mary’s hand, careful not to wake them, and you stare Saul down. The words you utter come out as a growl, rugged and defensive.   
“What do you want.” It isn’t a question. It’s a test; Whether you meant to or not, you had come to distrust anyone who wasn’t in your immediate party, and it was starting to rub off on how you interacted with outsiders.   
For all you know, Saul could just be another demon.  
He glances up, setting the magazine down in his lap. “Glad to see you’re awake.”  
You don’t respond, gripping Robert and Mary tightly, protectively. You’re hyper-aware of the knife in your pocket, going over the steps in your head you would need to take to draw and use it if need be. Saul sighs, holding his hands up placatingly.   
"I’m safe, I just came to talk, put the teeth away. I know you killed the demon."   
You feel Robert begin to stir, and you rub his back soothingly. You keep glaring Saul down, confusion swirling around your head at his words.  
"How...?"  
"It's classified. But I gotta say, I'm really impressed with the four of you. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I've grown a soft spot for you, but..." He gestures towards the three of you. "I've managed to let you off the hook, legally."   
You don’t allow yourself to be impressed, still leery of him. "And what does that mean, exactly?"  
"Well, I'm not actually a fairy godmother, so it's not perfect, but I came pretty close."  
Mary speaks up next to you, having awoken while you were distracted.   
“Well that’s nice and all, but how can we trust you?”   
You feel Robert sit up straighter next to you, now fully awake as well. He slips a hand into his jacket, resting it over what you know is his knife.   
Saul looks between the three of you, a sad look crossing his features. “God, you guys have been through some shit, haven’t you?”  
None of you answer, but you feel your gut drop at the reminder of what you’ve experienced in the past week. You try not to think about it for too long.   
You’re all distracted by the sound of someone approaching from down the hall, and look up to find Joey emerging into the lobby. He freezes, tensing when he see’s Saul, and immediately looks to you for direction.   
You nod to him, still keeping a tight grip on Robert and Mary, and he cautiously makes his way to the seat on the other side of Robert, slouching defensively and eyeing Saul bitterly. Saul smiles back at him gently.  
“I’m glad to see you’re doing well, Joseph.” Joey grits his teeth at the name, and the rest of you tense as well.   
“It’s Joey.”  
“Ah, my apologies, Joey.”  
The four of you continue to stare him down, braced and ready for action. He slowly sets the magazine back onto the table, as if afraid he would spook the four of you with moving too quickly.   
“...Sorry, where was I? Oh, how you can trust me.  
“I don’t think I can prove anything to the four of you, and I don’t think any of you can truly trust me. But I’d like to do my best, so I’ll just tell you what I know and go from there.” He looks to the four of you hopefully. When none of you respond, he rubs his temples briefly, as if to calm a headache.  
“I know you killed the demon, and that you all somehow ended up down here. I know the demon was embezzling funds from the church, and that it may have been behind the murders of a few Maple Bay citizens. I know that Joey here is no longer possessed, and I know you found a book on the Christiansen lore, and that that’s probably what you used to defeat the demon. I know about as much as that book does, and not much more.   
“I can also assume there were some… casualties, but I don’t know to what extent they were. I think it’s best if we keep it that way.”  
Joey’s voice is rough and strained, wheezy from his damaged vocal chords. “Yeah, that would probably a good idea, I think.” Despite his damaged state, his biting sarcasm still shines through, loud and clear. The smile he shoots Saul reads more like a snarl.   
Surprisingly, Saul chuckles at that, smiling back at him humorously. “Well, as long as there’s no incriminating evidence, you’re all clear. I won’t be snooping around for anything from the four of you, that’s for sure.” His face falls again, and he laces his fingers together under his chin. “Anyway, that’s all I know. Full truth. You can believe me, or don’t, but that’s the best I can do. Can I tell you the rest of the details now?”  
The four of you glance at each other, uneasy and unsure. You sigh, looking back to Saul. “Sure.”  
“Firstly, please don’t worry about the hospital bill, I covered that for you.”  
The four of you reel a little from that, taken aback. You struggle to find words.  
"Uh- thanks, thank you, for that-"   
Saul puts a hand up, silencing you. "Don't mention it, it's really no trouble. We may have gotten off to a rocky start at first, but I fully endorse the four of you.   
"As I was just telling you, I've managed to get you out of legal trouble. For the most part. I still have a few loose ends to tie, making sure Joey isn’t punished for crimes he didn’t actually commit and such, so the four of you would probably find it in your best interest if you laid low for about a year or so. You can contact friends and relatives though, none of your phones should be being monitored anymore.   
"I can cover any costs you need, so don't worry about that either. Gas, food, you name it, there should always been enough money on your credit cards. Just stay out of trouble as much as you can, and don't hesitate to call me for anything." He smoothly pulls out a sleek business card and hands it to you. He stands up, fitting his hat back over his head and flashing the four of you a warm, friendly smile.   
"Like I said. I'm in your corner."   
He goes to leave, but stops himself and turns back to you, a mischievous look flickering across his face.   
“Oh, and if you come across anything… supernaturally charged, gimme a holler. I’m sure you’ve run into something by now, with your cryptid magnet over here.  
“And who knows. My people are always looking for great hunters and detectives like yourselves.”  
He winks to the four of you before leaving, coattails flapping behind him as he disappears through the front doors.   
Mary stands up, pushing her greasy hair back and twisting in over her shoulder loosely, lost in thought as she stares at the doors the detective left through. She turns to the three of you and grins.   
"Well, you heard the man, boys, we better skedaddle. Whaddya say? Wanna go live on that island time?"   
As the three of you stand, Joey and Robert each take one of your hands, easily fitting themselves beside you, as if that’s where they were meant to be all along.  
Looking around at the three of them, you feel your heart swell with love and happiness.   
You all look like shit, with tired eyes, greasy hair and dirtied nails. To an outsider, you might look dangerous or cruel, with your sneering smirks and your caustic humor, your roughed up appearances and your cynicism.   
But for you, you’ve never felt more safe or at home. You grin back at Mary, relishing in the feeling of belonging and happiness that the three bring you.  
"Well, that shaker of salt isn't gonna find itself."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and thats all folks!! thank you for reading my self indulgent ass au i hope you enjoyed  
> for the major character death warning, im keeping it bc of the demon dying, and since a large part of josephs original characterization ended up being the demon it makes kinda sorta sense  
> anyway yes thank you for reading, hop on over to saccharinepeccadillowrites.tumblr and scream at me or something  
> i may end up continuing this au just because its so fucking fun and i fell in love with it a little too much   
> see ya again soon! :p


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